


Boy in the Plastic Bubble

by bladewielder05



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Fire Emblem Series, Kirby (Video Games), Super Smash Brothers, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, 新・光神話 パルテナの鏡 | Kid Icarus: Uprising (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bittersweet Ending, Bubbles - Freeform, Character Death, Coma, Comfort Sex, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drug Dealing, Drug Use, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family, Family Issues, Family Secrets, Forbidden Love, Gaming, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Obsession, Obsessive Behavior, Protective Siblings, Protectiveness, Psychological Drama, Psychological Trauma, Slow To Update, What Have I Done, What Was I Thinking?, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-12 16:27:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 69,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5672608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bladewielder05/pseuds/bladewielder05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Different. That's how he's always been. Different, and indifferent. Those two words described him best. Life, for him, had always been something that he felt like he just had to go through without a real passion for anything. Nothing really held his interest for very long. And he really didn't have any plans to deal with it as he spent his days without a care in the world. Until he found the bubbles. Until he found the boy. Until Marth found the one thing he had never encountered before in his life.</p><p>As he continued to spend time with the boy, Marth found himself falling for him more and more. Although he learned about disturbing secrets that should remain a secret, he didn't care too much about them as long as his companion remained happy. Yet things quickly took a turn for the worse once he crossed that forbidden line. With everything that followed soon after, Marth had to ask himself: could he fix the shattered lives he affected? His? And Pit's?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. As They Fly

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Paradigm of Writing](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Paradigm+of+Writing).



> This is a request from and gift for Paradigm of Writing on FF.net. He wanted the following three things: psychological drama between Pit and Marth, a T rating (though I feel that an M rating here is more appropriate), and for this to be named "Boy in the Plastic Bubble". Dark Pit goes by Nadir here. M!Robin stays as Robin while F!Robin would be addressed as Roseclere. M!Corrin's name is changed to be Carrigan while F!Corrin retains the name Corrin.

The day started out as normal as it could be. The sun rose and woke the blunette by seeping through the clear window of his bedroom. Yet it was all very familiar to him by now as he slowly sat up away from the shine. All he had to do now was crack his eyes open. It was all the same.

Too dull for Marth Lowell. Too routinely for Marth Lowell. Too boring for Marth Lowell. Wake up, go to the bathroom, brush his teeth, take a piss, change his clothes, make some breakfast, eat said breakfast, grab his bag, go outside, walk to college, and that's where the day varied from there. Even so, it still followed a pattern much to his distaste. Marth easily chose between attending the lectures, hanging out with friends, working his job, eating some lunch, or going back home. Once he actually went home, Marth would usually go with finishing up school work, dinner, and sleep. There were no in-betweens, no change from his regular schedule, no exceptions. It was as if his life was simply a wheel to cycle around over and over and over again through the same things over and over and over again.

Why was he forced into such a mold? Was it possible for him to change his routine even once? Could he actually do it? Yes, it was possible and yes, he could actually do it. It wasn't so hard for him to simply wake up that morning and decide off the top of his head to switch things up a bit. It wasn't going to hurt anybody, least of all him. That's exactly what Marth did in fact. He suddenly made the decision to change things up a bit. Though he already finished his early morning ritual of preparation, he still made his first change of his loitering around his apartment during the time he should have been at lecture. Most people possibly couldn't stand just sitting around for an hour. Marth wasn't like most people. And that's what he did, in fact. Simply staying put on his couch, watching the clouds float by through his windows. It was relaxing, to say the least. If you wanted to know the productive thing he did, if you could call it productive, it was mentally crossing out "attending lectures" and "working his job" on his necessity list. Another productive thing, perhaps, was him questioning random things philosophically, but he submitted a few answers to himself before moving on to something completely different. It took a while, but then the time finally came when the young man felt that he could stand to hang out with his friends a smidge. But just a smidge. He wished to continue lazing about in his house afterwards, another change in his usual routine. With a leftover sandwich from yesterday as lunch today in hand, the blunette gathered the strength to stand up and head out the door towards his college. Once he reached his destination, Marth headed straight towards the one-fire shot where his friends could always be counted on being, the sandwich already gone.

"Hey, Marth. I thought you had work today," Ike Greil smirked once Marth showed his face at the table just outside the Warpcoin. His other two friends also looked up in surprise. That was the second change: not showing up for his job. The blunette simply shrugged in answer as he sat down. Roy Pherae frowned at his lack of answer.

"Tired of college already?"

Marth simply shook his head. "I just wanted a change, that's all," he said truthfully. After a pause, he added, "I skipped classes today as well." Realization briefly lit the redhead's eyes before those lapis orbs darkened to misinformation. He turned back to typing away at his laptop for some paper, muttering:

"Your lost…"

"And…you just skipped on a whim? Just like that?" Meta Knight asked. Marth nodded this time as he looked straight through the eyeholes of Meta's mask. The shorter student shook his head in disgust, "Well, I hope you don't make a habit of it. What's the use of going to college and having a job if you're not going to attend?"

"College isn't all about lectures and jobs, you know," Ike argued. "There's also booze, women, clubs, and other fun things to do."

"Getting a higher education is the main point of college. Lectures help with that," Meta retorted. He leaned back in his chair. A gloved hand lifted up his mask while the second hand covered his face to rub his eyes. Roy instinctively leaned forward to catch a glimpse of Meta's face. However the masked student quickly replaced his mask, earning a sigh from his friend. Ten years of being friends and none of them could claim that they knew Meta's true face. Meta chose to ignore the redhead's obvious disappointment. "Seriously, Marth…you can't continue doing things on a whim. Life doesn't work like that. You're going to have to settle down at one point. And when you do, at that point it may be too late to turn around."

Marth shrugged his trademark shrug. He kept his silence, infuriating his friend even more. Meta threw his hands in the air before crossing them in mute fury. Both Ike and Roy had some difficulty hiding their smiles. Meta was usually a composed person. Little could faze the short student. However, one of the few things that actually got underneath his skin was Marth's disconnected nature. It confused Meta to no end how somebody could be so floaty and whimsical in this world while everybody else worked so hard for their own purposes in life.

And that was the crux of it. Marth could not find anything to really be passionate about. He couldn't really help it. Few things took up his interest, and the things that did only lasted at most three days. Then they were discarded like the rest of the world and its belongings. His friends had attempted to find something to snag the young man's attention for the rest of his life. They actually managed to get Marth the job he was working currently, but they knew that once the semester was over, Marth would have at least already quit his job. It shouldn't be long actually as even now he showed evidence of his distaste for working there. His necessity of money was the only reason why he put up with it for so long.

Speaking of his work, Marth's eyes flitted over to the tall clock tower marking the center of town. The hands notified him that the time he should have checked into his cashier job had long passed. Yet what was he still doing there at the Warpcoin, the clock tower seemed to ask. Marth barely cared to give an answer.

Ike waved a careless hand, "Don't worry about it. He'll get into the swing of things soon enough."

"It's been ten years, Ike. Ten, whole years. And he's still like this. Why can't you find something you like?" Meta asked in his scolding voice. Again to that all important question, Marth shrugged. The short student simply shook his head. "That's it. No more. I give up." The familiar amused look passed between Ike and Roy. They had to admit, even though this was a serious situation, the way that Marth and Meta dealt with it was amusing, to say the least. It was more fun when they didn't join in, but they did know the appropriate time to do so. Roy followed up on that now:

"Still, Meta does have a point. You really can't pass through life not caring about…well…anything."

"I care about my family and friends," Marth muttered.

"Well, isn't that a start! Glad to know that my friend isn't a total robot," Ike grinned.

"I just…don't feel like doing anything," the problematic subject shrugged his shoulders. As he did, he felt something push against him. Something hard and knobby. Something that caused him to turn around to see an albino floundering. His friends naturally fastened their eyes on the two to see what the commotion was about.

The stranger held his hands out in apology, letting go of his bulky bag that was the cause of their interaction. His eyes were wide and cheeks red with anxiety. "Oh! I'm so sorry about that!"

Marth nonchalantly waved it away, sending the stranger off to a corner table just a little way off of their table. He watched curiously as the snowy haired young man placed a laptop on the table he sat at. He hooked a headphone set and mouse to the laptop before starting up the device.

"Oh, it's the nerd," Ike said carelessly as he leaned back in his chair.

"He has a name, dude. It's Robin Sterling." Roy informed.

"Doesn't change the fact that he's a nerd," the muscular student gulped down his water. His friend was about to protest when he heard a voice coming from the corner. When he turned to look, he saw how intensely Robin was staring at his screen.

"Nadir, you're a bit slow. Is your hand all right? …Well…The reaction time between your movement and attacks is a lot slower than usual…yes, Ness. Nadir is definitely slower and there's definitely something wrong with his hand. Can you keep going, Nadir? This is a ranked battle after all…okay, okay. Don't bite my head off…Yoshi, I need some help here! They're flanking me!"

"…" Roy turned back to his friends, ignoring the smirk clear on Ike's face. That brought a slight smile from Marth while Meta's eyes crinkled slightly. The redhead avoided his friends' stares and continued to type away on his own laptop.

In turn, Marth tuned out Ike and Meta's new conversation that had absolutely nothing to do with him in favor of staring at the sky. The clouds he saw now definitely changed from the clouds he saw from his couch. Yet perhaps they were the same clouds from before. Their shapes just changed due to how it traveled through the sky with the wind and God-knows-what-in-the-air battering at it. It certainly was possible that the student had been staring at the same cloud the whole day. Marth entertained himself with the slight notion that the bits and pieces that the cloud lost became a whole new entity by themselves. Then he thought how maybe that wasn't the case and it was more likely that those bits and pieces lose their life the moment the random force separated them from its whole. Where did that leave the cloud that lost those then? Were they still the same? Or different?

Marth blinked when he noticed the pink and orange streaks in the sky that told them how much of the day a wasted sitting here was. He should probably get home now and continue sitting on his couch before moving to his bed. The blunette stood up. "Hey, I'm going home now." His friends, used to his silence, looked at him in initial surprise. Marth usually wouldn't say anything unless one of his friends prompted him. Would this be considered the third change? Naw. His third change didn't come yet. He knew that.

After getting over his surprise, Roy waved to his old friend, "Sure thing. See you tomorrow?"

"Perhaps."

"Just don't skip out anymore," Meta sighed in obvious exhaustion.

"Let the guy do what he wants, man," Ike smirked. "See you tomorrow, Marth."

Marth shrugged one last time before nodding in answer and walking away from his friends. He didn't look back once as he exited the school's premises to enter the streets of his city. They weren't as busy as usual, Marth thought. He paid the minimum attention required to avoid bumping into people in favor of his thoughts. Maybe it was because of the time of day? It was getting pretty late. But then shouldn't the people be driving home this time? Cars packing the highways, causing traffic to the person behind the next. Busy, busy, busy, busy, bu-.

His third change was that he took a different route home. Instead of his usual turn left on the corner street, he turned right. Why he did, even Marth had no idea. He just felt like taking a different path this time around. He was sure that eventually he will come upon his home. For now, however, he could stand to walk down the anonymous streets with an open mind. It didn't look much different from his own neighborhood, aside from a few alleyways that discouraged any mice from mingling with the rats of the city. The fallen leaves on the ground from the sidewalk trees shared similarities to any other leaves on Marth's streets. Sure, there might be the odd rotten leaf here and there, but not too much to suggest a plague. Either way, Marth briskly walked through all of it.

Though Marth could be seen as a robot to most people, even he still possessed human qualities. The freezing wind following him warned him to tighten his navy coat in preparation for the winter to come, which he did. It warned him so he could stay; it discouraged others from waiting out for too long. The shadows on the ground seemed to lengthen with every step the young man took. They stretched to reach the other side of the street, darkening the path. The streetlights soon buzzed on to illuminate small circles on the ground for any pedestrians. Several houses also joined in on the light show with their yellow squares and orange circles. The sounds of the evening disappeared from his ears. Nobody was around him.

Marth continued to walk. His mind mindlessly keeping track of nature slowly moved onto mankind's necessities. What should I have for dinner tonight? At the thought, his stomach grumbled. The sandwich was now truly gone from this world. It was still here…in spirit and energy. And became completely useless to Marth as he spent that energy wandering this unknown place. Perhaps he shouldn't have taken this new route. He could be home right about now, sitting on his couch so relaxed with a bowl of soup or something easy in his hands as he stared through his window at the moon. At least the moon was still there with him. Marth didn't feel alone, oh no. He felt positively…quaint. That's what others would define it. The moon lit the road for him, better than the streetlamps. And the wind brought him new company.

New company?

From the corner of the young man's eye, he saw something floating right next to him. As he moved, it moved. He stopped in mid-step. The thing kept moving. Once both eyes registered the stranger, Marth realized that it was a bubble. One of the soap bubbles kids loved to blow for fun. He straightened to see the bubble more clearly. It floated forward with the wind, uncaring of its eventual death. Marth watched it. What was a bubble doing out here so late in the evening? As he formed that question, Marth noticed how more bubbles flew by to join its leader. The wind blew shocking amounts toward the blunette, unmindful of the curiosity it was sparking in him. He turned around, eyes searching for the source of those bubbles. He couldn't find it, but he knew the general direction. Abandoning his indifferent walk, Marth retraced his steps. The wind howled in his face with so much ferocity, yet Marth continued to plow forward. Some of the bubbles met their end early colliding into his slim body. The leaves accompanying the bubbles quickly left them behind as they bypassed the young man. Marth ignored nature's fallen for the more pressing issue at hand; where were the bubbles coming from?

There!

Marth skidded to a stop, his eyes fixed on the open window where more bubbles were floating away from thanks to the strong autumn wind. The light of that room barely lit the place, but the young man could still see a shadow of somebody blowing the bubbles. The shadow suggested that its owner was sitting down, in a chair perhaps. Though their hair seemed short and messy, Marth couldn't tell whether they were male or female. On a sudden impulse, Marth cupped his hands together, shouting, "Hey!"

At the noise he saw how the shadow jolted away, dropping the bubble wand. The river of flying soap quickly stopped. The unknown person rapidly disappeared from view. The lights abruptly shut off, and Marth was once again alone with only the moon and streetlights to illuminate his path. The college student waited. And waited. And waited. There were no answers. There were no bubbles. There were no reactions. Just…emptiness. And loneliness.

After waiting for nearly an hour, Marth finally began his long walk home. He forwent his usual train of random thought in favor of the curiosity that seized him. Who was blowing the bubbles? Why did they leave when he called out? Usually people looked at who shouted. Then why didn't the bubble blower? Maybe his shout had startled the person. It was quite late now that Marth thought about it. A large sound from the street would startle anybody. Still, it would have raised their curiosity, urging them to see what was going on. Then why didn't the bubble blower? Would they continue blowing the bubbles despite their scare today? Marth found himself hoping they would. Should he go visit next time? See what was up? Would Marth be able to meet them?

He didn't realize how engrossed he was in his thoughts until he nearly walked right into his door. He stopped himself just in time to prevent a painful fate. Marth opened the door and had to remind himself to lock the door this time around. Ignoring the need to take off his shoes, he went straight to his couch and sat down. The warmth of his home drove the cold that bit at his cheeks away, yet he paid no attention to it. His hair, blown out of proportion, wasn't getting fixed. His stomach wasn't growling anymore. His eyes weren't locked on the moon this time around. His mind was still enraptured by the free bubbles and their mysterious creator. Marth saw them so clearly in his mind's eyes, the way they floated by him without a care in the world. And he remembered the creator's shadow as if he himself casted it.

Then came the final change that day. Marth finally found something that held his interest for more than three days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Eeyyyy~!
> 
> 1\. The Warpcoin is basically Starbucks. You know...warp star...coin bucks...the usual.
> 
> 2\. I honestly have no idea what Validar and Robin's last name is so...yeah. I just choose that one for both the heck of it and I slightly remember it being Robin's voice actor's last name or something close.
> 
> Yup. Hope you guys enjoyed.


	2. It Killed the Cat

Those bubbles broke an important record. They still floated around in Marth's mind even after three days had passed since he first saw them fly with help from the wind. He saw them flutter across the large screen his professors used to lecture their students. He saw them teasingly float behind the customers he helped at the cashier. And he saw them hover with the clouds through the window in front of his comfortable couch.

They changed his routine as well. After the day was done, Marth would quietly walk down that street where he first spotted those bubbles. Each time, he would stop a little ways off the house that contained them. There he would wait patiently. It sometimes took a while, but the shadow would pull out its bubble wand and send those rainbow spheres out into the sky. The college student would then simply stare at them in burning curiosity. He kept his mouth shut every time he was there as he did not want to repeat his mistake of scaring away the bubble blower. He was content with simply watching the perfect, round spheres of soap dance around the neighborhood until they tired of this world and popped away. Marth always stayed, shivering in the cold, hands tucked in his pockets, until the bubble blower had enough for one day and stopped his magic. It was only when the last bubbles drifted from Marth's sight did he start home. Even then, they still glided in his consciousness.

They simply won't leave him alone. Why not? They were just thinly-formed soap, too weak to last a whole minute. There really wasn't a practical use for them other than entertainment for little kids. So why would Marth spend so much of his time thinking about it? He admitted to himself that they were driving him absolutely mad. At times his mind wandered back to those innocent orbs, only to be shoved back into reality by an angry co-worker's call or a disturbed student's question. Even then he quickly returned to the state that the bubbles captivated him in despite the obvious dangers in it.

It was an odd sensation for Marth. Never before did he experience something so powerful, so tempting. He wondered why nothing else held the same height of ecstasy as did the bubbles for him. Surely there were other things in this world that merit more attention than the bubbles. And yet, for the life of Marth, he couldn't think of anything to justify his actions. Anything worthwhile for other people to even consider that it was all right to obsess over soap.

Marth stopped in his tracks. Obsession…was he really obsessed with those bubbles? He could be. Who knew? People couldn't figure out the pretty blunette. And, truthfully, he couldn't figure out himself either. Maybe that's the reason why he found the bubbles so fascinating. Because there's no real reason that they should be so mesmerizing. And yet, here he was, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk on his way to look at those bubbles again. He shook his head clear of those thoughts. Now was not the time. The blinking sun warned him that only a few minutes remained before the mysterious shadow blew those bubbles again. The college student quickened his pace, his heart's pulse accelerating. Bypassing the people, avoiding several obstacles, Marth only saw the bubbles flying away right now. He walked briskly down the street towards his destination. After a few more minutes he arrived. However today was a bit different than the other days.

It had been four days since he first saw the bubbles. The college student watched in curiosity as a man unlocked the door to the house. His back was turned, so Marth could not see the man's face at all. Rectangular light shone from the house while the homeowner stepped inside. Then the door shut, cutting Marth away from the mysterious man. The blunette tilted his head in thought. Was that person the bubble blower? It was quite possible as he did enter the house where the bubbles came from. But for some reason instinct told Marth otherwise. He continued to watch the house. He saw movement in the windows, something stretching out towards something else. The inside lights flickered on, and Marth recognized the green clothes that the man was wearing. The homeowner moved away from Marth's line of sight to disappear somewhere. From his position, the young man could barely see the row of stairs leading up to the second-story although he was able to see a doorway leading to another location and an armchair set up for a TV. Yet stairs were a must in that house as the bubbles came from up high.

The homeowner moved again, flickering by Marth's eyes before disappearing again. A few lights upstairs brightened, including the one that contained the bubbles. The all-too familiar shadow appeared along with the man's shadow. They appeared to be conversing with each other for a brief moment before the bigger shadow headed towards the window. Marth watched the man lean out and close the window. Blinds quickly fell into place, protecting the two from any unwanted attention from the outside world.

Marth felt his heart fall at that. For some reason the simple act of closing his gateway to the bubbles demoralized him immensely. The bubbles gave him something to look forward to each time he walked down this street. They were the only reason he walked down this street each time. It was unlikely that any bubbles would fly tonight, so Marth turned away to return home, unaware of the eyes following his back. Stepping into his home at that particular time felt slightly foreign to Marth. He had a paper due in the afternoon tomorrow but he had no intentions of finishing the remainder of it that night. In fact, he didn't feel like doing anything about anything at all. For the rest of his time at home, the student sat on his couch, leaning back in thought. Time passed a lot more slowly for him that particular night. Perhaps it was because he did not see the bubbles at all today? Perhaps. He found a strange comfort in those soap circles, and even though he had only seen them for six days straight, he couldn't shake off the awkward feeling of not having his daily dose. It was midnight when he finally turned in, his muscles slightly drowsy from staying in one spot too long.

Fortunately it seemed that only that day was a setback for Marth. When he visited the general area the next day, the shadow was blowing the bubbles again. The blunette felt his heart soar at the sight of those free-floating spheres. The wind also shared his joy as it blew the bubbles towards him. Marth ignored the freezing breeze as he held out his hands gently for some of the bubbles to land on. Of course they popped milliseconds of touching Marth's hands, but the student didn't mind. He was simply glad that the bubbles had returned.

"Earth to Marth. Hello?" Roy waved a hand in front of Marth's eyes. The blunette blinked rapidly in an attempt to gain his bearings. He saw how his friends were looking at him worriedly. He had almost forgotten that his list contained "hanging out with friends" today. Each supporting a cup of caffeine just the way they like it, the four students sat at a table a little off of their usual spot as it was occupied by two other students. Noticing the confusion on Marth's face, Roy asked, "Hey, you all right? You seem…a bit more distracted than usual."

Did he? He knew that he usually tuned out his friends' conversations and only added his own input when his friends asked for it. They respected his silence though they did make efforts to get him a bit more involved occasionally. Maybe they had asked him something and he didn't reply. The bubbles were currently on his mind at the moment though thankfully they relinquished their hold on him for the time being for him to process his friend's question. Did those bubbles had such a profound effect on him in just a few days? Another wave of the hand called the blunette back to reality. Marth finally nodded in response to Roy's question, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure about that? Roy's right. You're a bit more distracted than normal. And that's saying something," Meta sipped his coffee. Marth waved away their concern.

"I'm sure. I was just…thinking…"

"Too much thinking, not enough action," Ike smirked.

Meta rolled his eyes, "For you, it's too much action, not enough thinking."

"Hey! I still think!"

"With the wrong thing," Roy smirked. Ike glared at the redhead, his eyes firing a challenge.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Roy held up his hands in defense, but the smirk wouldn't leave, "Hey, I think you should know what I'm talking about, dude, considering your claims that you still think."

"I do," Ike growled. At this point, Marth tuned out his friends' conversation once more in favor of the bubbles again. Even if he wanted to think about something else, such as the sky, the bubbles would always tug his mind back to them. They just wouldn't leave him alone. More importantly, now that Marth spent days after days pondering, he realized that their creator wouldn't leave him alone. Marth wanted to know who was blowing those enchanting spells. His curiosity at the identity of the bubble blower gnawed his insides, threatening to eat him alive unless he found the culprit of his dilemma. Yet Marth wasn't sure how he could achieve that without being viewed as a creepy stalker. It was rare for people to simply walk up and say, "Hey, I want to know who's been blowing those bubbles because they fascinate me so." He didn't want to repeat his first mistake of calling out to the person as it would only scare them away. And Marth wasn't sure how he would react when there were no more bubbles. The empty sensation that captured him after the first bubble-less night felt extremely unpleasant, and Marth didn't want to experience that again.

He briefly returned to earth when he heard Roy saying something about Robin knowing a lot of things and maybe Ike should take advice from him. He was about to dismiss that information like any other stray messages that he managed to hear on his tuning out when he digested the message further unconsciously. Robin knew a lot of things…Robin knew a lot of things…Robin…knew…

"Look, Ike, if you actually listened to the professor like you were supposed to—Hey, where did Marth go?" Meta asked suddenly, his eyes snapping at the empty seat in front of him. Ike and Roy looked at the shorter student before, in unison, turning their heads towards the seat supposedly occupied by Marth. Their whimsical friend was nowhere to be found and there was a slight moment of panic as they scanned the surrounding area for a sign of blue. Roy quickly reassured their anxiety when he spotted Marth edging near Robin.

"Oh, he's just going over to talk to Robin."

"What? Why does he need to talk to the nerd?" Ike asked incredulously. Sapphire orbs much like his own looked at him in disapproving lines.

"Would you stop calling Robin a nerd? It's rude!"

"It won't change the fact that he's a nerd, Roy."

"It still doesn't give you the right to call him that!"

While Ike and Roy got in their usual argument over the albino, Meta watched his capricious friend from his seat. Like his friends, the masked student was curious as to why Marth went to Robin in the first place. It was strange to see his friend interacting with a stranger as Marth was not the type to approach somebody on his own accord, much less a person he barely knew. The only real thing they knew about Robin was that he was among the smartest students in the college and he always sat in the same spot at the Warpcoin. Though Meta knew that Robin wouldn't really be able to hurt Marth, he kept an eye on those two just in case something should happen.

Robin's eyes stared at his laptop screen in fascination. His fingers moved rapidly across his keyboard as his hand jerked his mouse erratically in strange patterns. The gamer barely noticed the blunette walking up to him. Marth didn't mind. He sat down in the chair opposite of the albino and waited patiently. It was fortunate that he was so used to simply sitting and doing nothing as it looked like it was going to take a while. He watched Robin's eyes shine in excitement at certain times before giving way to panic the next. The albino would speak rapidly in the microphone of his headphones, conversations unknown and mysterious to Marth. Yet the blunette continued to sit in waiting. Even after Ike and Roy stopped fighting, Robin was still playing his game unknowingly with Marth watching him. It was only after Robin smiled in obvious victory did he notice that a young man had suddenly materialized in the seat opposite of him. He jumped slightly in surprise, realizing too late who it was.

"Oh, hey, Marth," Robin chuckled awkwardly. He scratched his neck sheepishly, wondering how much of his conversation with his team Marth heard. Dear Naga he hoped Marth didn't hear the bit about him talking about how hot Marth's cousin was…"How long have you been there?"

"I don't know," came the simple answer. The gamer raised a curious brow at both the answer and the tone Marth said.

"O-kay…can I…help you with something?"

The student in question barely hesitated, "Do you know who's been blowing bubbles on 64th Avenue?"

Robin blinked. That…was not a question he was expecting. "Um…blowing…bubbles…yeah, uh…why do you need to know that exactly?"

"I just want to know, that's all," Marth shrugged.

Now that answer was something Robin expected. He knew a bit about Marth's whimsical nature and could rightly guess that those bubbles in question somehow caught his attention. His eyes looked around for an answer to materialize for him. When none came, the albino crossed his arms in thought as he tilted his head upwards. "Well…uh…the bubble blower of 64th Avenue…" Robin trailed off. His eyes shifted to the side in an attempt to look at his headphones. Marth waited patiently for the albino to gather himself. It looked like Robin was listening to somebody or something on his headphones in an effort to make up his mind. After what seemed like ages, the gamer finally shook his head resolutely, "Sorry. I don't know who it is."

Marth's shoulders sagged at the answer. His own troubled look was mirrored by Robin, who looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't. The blunette simply nodded his thanks before standing up and heading back to his friends. The gamer watched him with a puzzled look for a while before turning back to his laptop.

Ike, Roy, and Meta gazed at Marth curiously as he sat down in his seat. The blunette barely noticed, his eyes staring at his coffee cup in disappointment. Meta coughed loudly though Marth didn't stir. Both Ike and Roy looked at the shorter student. Meta gestured to their whimsical friend to signal the question that needed to be asked. After a few moments of silent eye exchanges, the vote was for Ike to ask.

The muscular student cleared his throat before slapping his friend on the back. Marth gave a slight squeak of surprise at the unexpected blow. "Hey, Marth. What's up?" Ike asked. The blunette looked up from his coffee to see a round of worried expressions. Like all questions about his well-being, Marth just shrugged in answer.

"Nothing much."

"What were you talking about with the nerd?" Ike questioned. Roy threw his hands up in the air.

"Dude, come on!"

Ike just smirked at his friend before turning his attention back to the friend in question. "I don't think it's 'nothing much', Marth. These couple of days you've been a bit more off than usual. What's the matter? Girl problems?"

"What? No," Marth frowned. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"You have a hot cousin though. Wasn't her name Lasoona or something?" Roy furrowed his brow in an attempt to remember Marth's nearly identical cousin.

"It's Lucina, Roy," Meta sighed. "But honestly, Marth. I think you have something on your mind, and as your friends I think we have a right to know what it is."

Marth hesitated, his eyes dropping to the coffee that now stood cold in front of him. He tilted it side-to-side, not nearly enough that it spilt over the edges. He wondered whether he should tell his friends about the bubbles and their maker that have been troubling him for the last few days. He wasn't sure what they would think about his mania over such trivial things. Yet he couldn't help himself. Marth wanted to know. He needed to know. Maybe his friends might have ideas on how to approach the problem.

"On 64th Avenue, somebody's been blowing bubbles every evening," Marth finally revealed. Ike raised a confused eyebrow at that. When it seemed like his friend hesitated to say anymore, he gestured with his hand for him to continue:

"So…?"

"So…I want to know who that person is."

His friends waited expectantly. When Marth only returned their blank stares, Roy finally asked, "That's it?" Much to his dismay, Marth shrugged in response. He leaned back in his chair, "It might as well be a girl problem…"

"You wouldn't go to a nerd with girl problems, Roy."

"Would you stop?! Oh, never mind."

Meta lifted up his mask to rub his eyes before returning it to its proper place. "Was that the reason why you went to Robin? To find out who the bubble blower was?" he inquired. Of all the things he was thinking Marth would say, wondering about the identity of a mysterious bubble blower was not one of them. Then again, he should have known not to expect the norm with Marth. Just having his mind on bubbles was enough to set him apart from everybody else. When Marth nodded, Meta just sighed in response. At least, he thought wearily to himself, his quirky friend had found something to occupy his mind for the time being even if it was something useless. He wondered how long Marth's sudden fascination with soap spheres would last. He guessed to himself that it'd take a day before Marth returned to his old self. "I'm guessing he didn't know."

Marth shook his head in confirmation.

"Did you actually try to knock on the door and ask who it was?"

"I called out to them the first night, but then they left quickly. I didn't want to risk it again."

"Wait a minute. The first night? Again? How long have you been thinking about these bubbles?" Meta asked in obvious shock.

Marth shrugged, "Since the last seven days or so. Why?" His friends exchanged identical looks of surprise, their jaws open and their eyes wide.

"I never thought I'll see the day…" Roy murmured. "Something's finally held Marth's interest for more than three days!"

"Break out the champagne! We're celebrating tonight!" Ike snickered. He gave Roy a mocking high-five. "Aren't you happy for him, Meta? Your wish finally came true!"

"Why are you so interested in that?" Meta had to know. Granted Marth could be an extreme enigma at the worst of times, but surely he must have a decent reason why those bubbles ensnared him so. From what he could remember the last time he saw actual bubbles (and that was a long time ago), Meta knew they were soothing to a certain extent. Did they have that kind of effect on Marth?

Much to his dismay, Marth shrugged again. Meta shook his head in slight frustration. This was going to be a cycle of questions and shrugs, he just knew it. Better quit while he was ahead.

"So you don't know who's been blowing those bubbles?" Ike asked. Marth nodded. "But you want to know." Marth nodded. "Then just go up to the door and knock. It's not going to hurt anybody." His friends stared at him, Roy and Meta in shock while Marth more in consideration.

"Geez, Ike! You can't just waltz up to a house and do that! It's creepy as fuck! Even if he does do that, what's he going to say?" Roy exclaimed. He waved his hands above him, his voice going in a higher octave than normal. "'Hey there! I was just wondering, who's been blowing those bubbles that I've been watching for the past six days? I really want to know!' It's going to come off as stalker-status, man."

"Well, what do you propose he should do? Just continue waiting and watching until some miracle pulls off and he magically learns who blew those bubbles? That's even crazier!"

"Better that than letting the person know they were being watched the whole time." Roy shook his head towards Marth, "Please, dude. Don't listen to Ike. He's just being stupid."

"I am not!" Ike retorted. "I'm just trying to help. After all, you won't know unless you try. And it's better to try than not try at all."

Meta stared at his friend, "…those are some of the wisest words I've heard from you…"

"…I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult," Ike muttered. The masked student shrugged in response.

"Take it as you will. But enough about that. What are you going to do about the bubbles then, Marth?" Meta asked the blunette. Marth kept silent throughout the whole banter. When he was finally addressed, he was tempted to shrug again but something stopped him. Instead, he shook his head in response.

"I don't know…I'll come up with something."

"…those bubbles really have an effect on you, huh, Marth?"

"I guess so…well, it's almost time again. I'll see you guys around," Marth said as he stood up, grabbing his coffee cup.

"Going to see the bubbles? Maybe I should come along too," Ike joked.

"No!" the word exploded from Marth as he glowered at his friend. The other three students jolted in surprise at the sudden raw anger their friend abruptly displayed. Marth himself was shocked that he shouted at his friend so aggressively. He usually didn't give into his emotions like that, and it was strange that he would be angry with Ike. Why would he be when Ike was just making a lighthearted comment like that? The young man lowered his gaze in embarrassment, "Er-sorry about that…"

Ike stared for a few more seconds before an awkward grin crossed his face. "Naw, it's cool, man. I get it. It's a private thing," he waved away Marth's apology. "You better get on it before you miss them." The muscular student turned back to his coffee and sipped the lukewarm beverage.

Marth stood awkwardly, wondering whether he should stay to apologize more or simply leave now. He looked to Meta and Roy for guidance, but the two friends had nothing helpful to offer. After a tense silence, Ike looked back up with a look that asked "what the hell are you still doing here? Go on!" After another moment of hesitation, Marth nodded silently.

Picking up his cup, Marth waved good-bye to his friends, "I'll see you guys tomorrow then…"

"Looking forward to it," Meta said earnestly.

"Let us know if you find anything," Ike snickered. Roy joined in and even Marth cracked a smile as he left the Warpcoin. By now he could simply walk to the house without paying much attention to the streets. The route had snuck into his routine so comfortably, it seemed like he had done this every day of his life. Marth finished off his coffee despite its temperature matching the environment the cup protected it from. He crumpled the cup and tossed it away in a slight detour. Then he was back on route. As he walked, his mind floated back to his incident with his friends. He wondered again why he had gotten so worked up over Ike saying he would tag along. For some reason it just really bothered him. Perhaps, Marth thought to himself, it was because he felt like even though the bubbles were in public view they still belonged to him somehow. He wasn't the one who made them, but the serenity they brought seemed to be directed at him. There was really no other explanation for it. Thinking back, the young man felt guilt stabbing at him for lashing out at his joking friend. Though Ike understood and forgave him for it, Marth still believed that he should make it up to him as another apology. Ike was one of his oldest friends, and he wanted to bridge any rifts that came between them, no matter how small. He made a mental note to do something for him in the future.

Marth soon arrived at his destination almost at the same time like the past few days.

Although he usually waited away from the general area of the house, for some reason, Marth just felt like it was time to get a bit closer to the house. His mind went back to the conversation he had with his friends, the possible explanation for that feeling. Maybe he should knock today? Or shouldn't he? Marth wasn't really sure. There was something about asking the stranger directly that prevented him from doing so. He considered that option for a few more seconds before finally making his decision. Standing near the door seemed like an all right comprise, so he stood a few feet from the door, making sure that the window was still in his line of sight. He looked upwards to where the bubbles would be floating out of for the evening. The college student shivered in the freezing wind that suddenly bypassed him. It told him that winter was soon coming, the change would be so unexpected that he best be prepared for it. Marth shook that thought away, certain that he could deal with anything that came his way. His eyes were locked onto his target of the window. When the streetlights began to glow, the lights brightened the room, revealing the shadow to Marth. He held his breath in expectation.

"What are you doing here, kid?" asked a rough voice. Marth was so enraptured with the thought of seeing the bubbles that were to come that he jumped two feet in the air at the abrupt interruption of silence. After composing himself he turned around to see the homeowner he recognized previous nights ago holding onto a paper bag of groceries. His blue eyes glared daggers at Marth as his hand went upwards to hold the cigarette dangling from his mouth. He inhaled a bit before removing the cigarette, exhaling a smoky cloud. All the while, his eyes continued to scowl at Marth. Marth only stared back, mind racing for any possible explanation of why he was standing in front of the man's home. This situation would be slightly difficult for him to explain though…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. 64th Avenue. Nintendo 64. I think you guys understand that reference. :D
> 
> 2\. The name "Lasoona" came from Prozdvoices's voice acting when the Chrom Mii Fighter costume was revealed. I really couldn't help myself include that in...and, in all honesty, Lucina being Marth's cousin was the best thing I could come up with to keep their relationship somewhat canon. But really...there's really nothing canon in this story. So prepare yourselves for that...nerds. XD Anybody get the reference? Anybody? No? Okay, I'll just leave now then...


	3. London Dispersion Force

_"What are you doing here, kid?"_

Marth blinked rapidly in confusion as the man continued to glare at him. Though he was tempted to look away from the man's accusing expression, Marth knew that it would be a mistake to do so. The college student continued to eye down the green-dressed man, still wondering what he should say though his blank expression showed little signs of the rapid thinking going on behind the scenes. He wasn't at all sure how the man would react to the truth of how the bubbles and the bubble blower wouldn't leave his mind. After all, Marth was quite sure that the stranger was no stranger to the bubble blower considering how he saw the two interacting a few days ago. He tossed around the idea of telling the normal excuse of simply taking a walk, yet he dismissed it almost immediately. Marth was disconnected, not stupid. There had to be a different reason for his standing just a few feet away from the man's door and pointedly looking up at the second-story window, not because of a simple walk when the surrounding houses posed more interest than this one. Besides the man's tone indicated that he was more than familiar with Marth standing outside his home every day. In his case it was just a formality of asking what the hell the blunette was doing.

After what seemed like hours when in reality it was a few seconds, Marth finally decided on what to say. The college student pointed towards the object of his interest currently. "I see somebody blowing bubbles from that window almost every evening. I was intrigued about the identity of the person. That's why I'm standing here. I'm wondering who could be blowing those bubbles." The look of disbelief on the man's face was one that Marth was familiar with. People gave him that same look most of the time. Yet for some reason when this man looked at him like that, Marth felt slightly ashamed, like a kid being scolded by a parent. He shuffled his feet awkwardly with his hands behind his back.

The man hesitated at the answer. As strange as it sounded, the man was certain that Marth told the truth. Something about his manner or his tone didn't mark his words as a lie. Still, the older of the two didn't like the way the boy stood in front of his house. Annoyance replaced disbelief as he jerked a thumb behind him. "Well, I'm sorry to say that you're going to have to keep wondering. I don't want to see you outside my house anymore, got it?"

"Unfortunately sir, I don't think that's possible," Marth said quietly. A blonde eyebrow rose at that statement.

"It's simple really. You just walk away and never come back," the man retorted. He felt his impatience rising when he saw the blunette shake his head.

"Those bubbles have been on my mind for the past week. I can't stop thinking about them, nor can I stop thinking about who's blowing them," Marth said vehemently. "I know that it's weird, but I can't help myself. I have to know, sir!" He stared resolutely into the man's eyes. All signs of hesitation and blankness before disappeared to reveal a determined young man. His eyes told the older person loud and clear that Marth would not give up. Truth to be told, Marth was surprised at his own perseverance and forthrightness. He usually didn't say this much, even when he was conversing with his friends. Thinking that the bubbles were the reason for this change, the student wasn't sure whether this was good or bad. Was he weird that he was influenced by such a small thing as a bubble but not something catastrophic like the death of a president? Truthfully though he didn't care about that answer. He cared more about the man's answer to his plea. The green-clad man leaned in close to Marth. The blunette almost took a step back, but he quickly regained his wits and stood his ground. He kept his expression blank despite the sickly smoke the man smelt of. The two stared each other down, one coolly, the other irritated. After the longest silence the man finally spoke again.

"Leave…" he enunciated.

The college student simply shook his head, ignoring how red the man's ears were getting. "No."

"Do I have to call the police?"

"Sir, I'm only standing here, wondering and wanting."

"You're a nuisance."

"Technically, I'm not bothering anybody."

"You're bothering me."

"That is not enough have me detained by the police, sir."

The man scowled as he let go of his cigarette. Stifling and crushing it underfoot, he walked past Marth towards the door. The college student silently watched him reach his destination. He grabbed his keys, fumbled with them, and unlocked the door. The man paused at the door for a brief moment. He looked over his shoulder, the scowl still on his face. "You're really not going to leave this alone, are you?"

Marth shook his head.

The man breathed out a sigh of frustration, his effort of holding in his anger obvious. "Do you promise to leave us alone once you know who's been blowing the bubbles?"

Marth nodded his head. He noted how the stranger had used a plural word instead of a singular word. That sent the gears in his brain whirling. His curiosity simply burnt him alive as the time for him to finally see who had been blowing the bubbles finally arrived. He was so close, so close to finally knowing the identity of that shadow.

The man shook his head, muttering to himself. He held the door a bit wider and gestured for Marth to come inside. The college student quietly followed the man. Both took off their shoes at the front, the man putting his on a rack while Marth left it near the mat. The blunette noticed a few other pairs of shoes on the rack. All on the large side, the shoes signaled that they belonged to the homeowner. The shoes didn't really tell Marth about anything other than the shadow in the second-story shared the same shoe size as the man before him.

"Hurry up, kid," called an aggravated voice. Marth looked up to see the man tapping his foot impatiently. The student muttered an apology as he stepped onto the wooden floor lightly. The man gave him no more attention when he whisked away into the kitchen to put away his bag. As one would in a new house, Marth examined his surroundings.

Unlike most houses, this one's white walls were clear of family photos and portraits. In fact the house was quite barren compared to what Marth was used to seeing. The living room contained a set of two couches along with a lamp stand, a lamp, and a television set. To the left of the entrance way and in front of the living room entrance stood the kitchen. The blunette saw the man storing away the supplies he must have bought from the super market. The sickly, sunny yellow on the walls was almost too blinding to the naked eye. At least the kitchen retained signs that it functioned as a cooking setting as well as a dining setting. The living room, ironically, seemed a bit dead to Marth. Perhaps it was the lighting? Despite how the lamp shone brightly from its stand, the room lacked the cheerful atmosphere that usually accompanied the white lights. Perhaps it was because nothing stirred in the area that it seemed so dead to the college student. Yet Marth wasn't so sure about that answer. Even his own, small living room offered more activity than this one. And he was the sole occupant of his apartment.

He snapped out of his thoughts when the man peeked from the kitchen. "You can just sit there for now," he pointed towards the couch in front of the TV before returning to the kitchen. Marth nodded in response despite the man being unable to see. He treaded lightly over the wooden floor as if it was lava. The floor panels squeaked slightly in protest at the weight on them. After a few more strides, Marth finally reached the couch. The moment he sat down on it, his ears perked up at the sound of footsteps in sandals rushing down the stairs.

Whenever Marth thought back to that moment, he always felt like time had slowed down. And for him time never really sped up or slowed down not once in his life, except for that bubble-less night and this instance. Other people would comment on how time flew by so fast or complain about how time was too damn slow, but it always felt the same to Marth. With infinite deliberateness, he turned around to see a boy leap from the last step. "Dad, you're hom-," the boy stopped short when he saw a stranger in his house. His sapphire eyes grew wide with surprise as he stood rooted to the spot. Marth's own cerulean eyes stared back at the boy.

Truth to be told, Marth went into this blind. He absolutely had no expectation of how the bubble blower would look like. Every time he thought about the shadow, that was all he could see: a shadow with a bubble wand sending those soapy spheres into the world. If asked before he laid eyes on the boy, Marth would simply shrug in response. When the college student saw the boy, he instinctively knew that this boy standing at the stairs was his mysterious bubble blower. His burning curiosity smothered slightly but it was by no means extinguished. He wanted to know more. Marth noted how much shorter the newcomer was compared to him. His messy hair's color likened to a chocolate's hue while his smooth skin paled without a touch of sun. The boy was slender, the oversized white T-shirt hanging from his body to slight cover up his navy shorts. And when Marth looked into the boy's eyes, dear good God, he was at a lost. They enraptured him so, shaming his own orbs of blue. Marth knew from experience that people loved his azure hue, but this boy's…it had something else. Something that Marth's eyes lacked.

It had something else mixed into that mystery as well. Fear. Marth blinked in surprise as the boy backed away, his hands clasped together tightly, his shoulders trembling slightly. Yet his wide eyes wouldn't stop staring at Marth. The college student resisted the urge to stand up and walk over to the terrified child in an effort to comfort him. He only continued to stare at the bubble blower, making sure to not make any sudden movements to scare the boy even more.

Under his close scrutiny, Marth saw the boy's eyes flicker behind him. Only then was the college student aware of footsteps stopping a few feet away from him.

"Pit, come over here," the man called.

Pit…so that was the bubble blower's name. Marth's face showed no signs of his satisfaction of not only finally seeing the shadow's true appearance but also for learning the name. He watched the boy hesitate, his eyes still trained on the stranger in his house. After what seemed like months to only two people in that room, Pit scurried over to the man. He took the shortest and farthest route from Marth possible. The blunette swiveled his head just in time to see Pit leap into the man's arms. The boy gave him a quick hug before hiding behind him, his tousled hair and wide eyes peering from behind.

"Dad, who is that?" came the softest voice Marth ever heard. It was almost too angelic to be of this world as it touched his heart. The man patted Pit's head before looking at Marth. He considered telling the college student to get out and finally leave him and his son alone, but he didn't want Pit to see that side of him.

"He's…" the man hesitated.

"Marth," the blunette finally introduced himself to the two family members. "My name is Marth. I'm a friend of your father. It's very nice to finally meet you, Pit." He ignored the slight scowl on the man's face. Pit tilted his head to the side.

"That voice…" he muttered. Both the man and Marth frowned at that strange statement. Pit continued, "You're the one that said "hey" to me some nights ago." Marth's heart leaped in surprise at the boy's recognition. He almost couldn't believe that Pit would remember something like that from so long ago. Surely he should have forgotten about it a few days prior to today with all the things that must have been going on in the boy's life. He felt a small warmth that the boy would actually remember that small incident, yet he felt awkward when he realized how much he must have scared the boy.

"Oh…I'm sorry I startled you that night," Marth scratched his head uncomfortably. "I was just excited to see the bubbles, and I wanted to know who was blowing them."

"…You…like my bubbles?" Pit asked tentatively. The blunette nodded in response. The shorter boy revealed more of his face from behind his dad. Now Marth could see a bit more of Pit's shy mouth and little nose. "Why?"

"I just really liked them. I came back every time you blew them just so I could see them."

"You…you did?" Pit finally broke clear of his dad's back. His sapphire eyes looked at Marth up and down again. Though the man seemed nice enough, the boy still wasn't sure about him. He never really met anybody else from the outside before besides his father and brother. And his dad never brought home any friends, so this was quite new to him. Still the change was slightly nice despite his nervousness around the newcomer of their house. He looked at his dad when said man patted his head.

"Get cleaned up. Dinner's almost ready," he smiled slightly. Pit nodded obediently. This time, when he went back to the stairs, he didn't avoid Marth as much. The two males exchanged a quick look. Pit lowered his eyes then looked up and waved shyly to Marth with a small smile before he disappeared upwards. Once the footsteps quieted down, the father crossed his arms and glowered at Marth.

"You're my friend?" he asked pointedly.

Marth simply shrugged in response, "That was the only thing I could really think of."

The man shook his head before sighing. He massaged the temples of his head as he leaned backwards against the wall. It was obvious that he was stressing over this. He knew that Marth originally promised to leave them alone and he had hoped that he would show the student a picture of his son before driving him away. However now that he had sparked an interest in his son, it would be near impossible for the dad to forbid Marth from coming back here. Pit would constantly ask questions about Marth and want him to visit all the time, unlike his older brother. That was something the man did not want at all. He had absolute no idea what this person in front of him was like, but if he had to judge from the short time he spent with the student, he wouldn't want his son hanging around with this type of person.

"May I ask your name?" Marth questioned, partly to be polite, partly to have a reference, and partly to break the awkward silence between them. The man looked up from where he was burning a hole through his floor.

"…It's Link," he finally muttered. The moment he uttered his name, Link immediately regretted it. Granted he knew Marth's name but for some reason it felt strange telling this person his name. It was like he was committing himself into something that would lead to his downfall. And Link didn't like the tone of that. It was too late to take it back, of course. But it wasn't too late to regret it. Before he could say anything else, Pit had bounced down the stairs once again. He didn't look any different but Link knew that his son did as he asked.

"Is Marth joining us for dinner?" Pit asked softly, his eyes shining. At that question, Link gave Marth a look. Hopefully the young man would get the hint and remember his promise. Unfortunately for the father Marth shrugged in response. Link ran a hand through his blonde hair, his mind racing for an answer. Pit stared brightly at his dad, the hope clear in his eyes. When he looked at his son, Link found his urge to say no drain away. He never should have done that and now he couldn't regain the strength to even shake his head. The older man finally gave a defeated sigh.

"Only if he's not busy."

"No, not really. I'll be happy to join you for dinner," Marth smiled in response. Pit grinned joyfully as he headed into the kitchen. Marth followed afterwards. When he crossed Link's path, he turned to him with an apologetic look. He mouthed a sorry, but the older man didn't want to hear that. He simply scowled slightly before heading towards stove where a pot of spaghetti sauce bubbled.

Link grabbed the ladle and gestured with it towards Pit, "Can you set another place at the table for Marth, please?" His son nodded as he rushed to the cupboard for the utensils needed for the meal. Link jerked his head at one spot at the table, which was across the stove, "You can sit there, Marth." The college student nodded his gratitude as he moved towards that spot. When he sat down, Pit placed a fork and slip of napkin in front of the young man. Again Marth nodded his thanks. However, unlike Link, Pit responded. He flushed with satisfaction as he bounced over to his dad. Three bowls stood waiting near Link's hand, each filled with some noodles. The green-clad man took one of the bowls and scooped the tomato sauce over the spaghetti. When he was done with that, he handed the bowl to Pit to grab the second bowl. The boy then placed the meal in front of Marth. Another nod, another flush, and Pit returned to Link. The son delivered the next bowl to the seat besides Marth, leaving only the seat opposite of Marth empty but not for long. When Pit returned with the last bowl, Link also came to the table. He sat to Marth's left while his son sat down in front of Marth with the bowl. The man noted in satisfaction that his guest waited for his hosts to sit down before eating.

The meal was strangely silent as they slurped up the delicious spaghetti. Though Pit seemed to have accepted Marth, the boy was still noticeably nervous around him as he kept his eyes on his own bowl. Link outright made it clear to the college student that he initially wasn't welcome here. As he continued to eat Link's spaghetti, Marth's mind raced for some type of subject for them to talk about and finally dissipate this awkward muteness. However only the bubbles came to his mind. After a few more moments of looking a different subject to talk about, he shrugged philosophically. Since they were the things that brought him here in the first place, he could stand to talk about them.

"So, Pit…did your father get you those bubbles?" Marth finally asked as he tried to make eye contact with the boy. Said boy jumped slightly like Marth had shattered something fragile, its pieces falling to the ground in millions of pieces. He looked up for a moment before his eyes slid away to look at his spaghetti again.

"He did," Pit said quietly, rolling a meatball over his noodles. "But he told me that I can't blow them inside because the soap would get on the floor. That's why I blow them out the window."

"Ah, I see. Well, I'm very glad you decided to do that," Marth said sincerely. Pit looked up in surprise. His eyes searched the older male's face for something. When he couldn't find what he sought and saw only honesty in Marth's eyes, the boy relaxed a bit. He even cracked a small smile before shyly turning back to his food. He swirled his fork to scoop up some noodles but looked back up again.

"Do you really like them?"

Marth nodded, "They're very pretty. And peaceful."

"Peaceful?" Pit asked. "What do you mean by that? How are they peaceful?"

The college student paused. He was aware that Link's eyes were also staring curiously at him, waiting for his answer. Marth wiped some of the tomato sauce from his mouth as he pursed his lips in thought. "They're simply flying with the wind without a care in the world. Even though they're short-lived, they still continue to float freely. They don't care so long as they can fly. I think that's why I found them so peaceful and pretty," he finally answered. He looked at Pit, who stared back his eyes wide in awe. Even Link was in thought about what Marth just said.

"I never thought about it that way…" Pit muttered. "The bubbles being free…"

"Pit, they're inanimate objects."

"In…inanimate?"

"Not alive, Pit. They don't feel like we do," Link chuckled lightly. "I have to admit, that's an interesting way of looking at that, Marth. But please don't fill Pit's head with foolish ideas."

"Are they really foolish, Dad?" the son looked to his father now. Link grinned a bit before reaching over to wipe away a bit of sauce from the boy's mouth. Though the boy initially leaned away in reflex, Link's firm look made Pit sit still while his dad cleaned him slightly.

"Depends on who's thinking it. Marth and I…see things a bit differently. So while he finds those bubbles of yours fascinating…I'm a bit more on the dubious side. But that doesn't mean that you should stop, all right?" Link returned to his original position, satisfied that Pit looked a bit cleaner.

"What does 'dubious' mean?" the boy asked.

"It means that he doesn't really believe it," Marth explained. At the definition of the word, Pit recoiled as if he had been struck. He glanced at Marth briefly before turning those innocent blue eyes at his father.

"Why not, Dad?"

At that question, Link simply sighed, "I just don't. Finish your spaghetti, son."

Pit pouted but despite his want to have his question answered, he followed his dad's order. When Link said things in that tone of his, it was in Pit's best interest to listen. Though Marth wasn't aware of it, he knew better than to continue that conversation. He actually finished his meal first. Though he knew it was impolite for him to leave first, he felt that he had to. It was getting late, and as much as he wanted to stick around, Marth remembered Link's accusing eyes about breaking his initial promise. His companions looked up in surprise as Marth gestured to his empty bowl.

"I'm sorry, but I really have to get going. Where would you like me to leave this?"

Link pointed to the sink, "Just put it in there, thank you." He paused. His mouth twitched slightly as his throat swallowed. It looked like he wanted to say something else but another thing stopped him from doing so. Marth didn't notice. He was too busy placing his bowl and fork quietly in the gray sink.

"Do you have to go?" Pit asked, the sorrow obvious in his voice. The boy's tone was almost enough to stop Marth from leaving. He turned to look at the boy and regretted his decision immediately. If the boy's tone alone was enough to stop him, his eyes were more than satisfactory in trapping Marth here. Yet the student quickly steeled his resolve. He nodded in reply. The son released his grasp on his fork and twiddled his thumbs. His gaze slid away from Marth's. "C…come back soon, please?" The boy then felt something pat his head. He looked up in surprise to see Marth smiling slightly.

"Yeah. I'll be back," Marth said. He ruffled Pit's hair, earning a slightly cry of indignation before a small giggle. The blunette then turned to Link, who still looked like he wanted to say something. "See you around, Link." Marth almost couldn't contain the amused snicker that threatened to break free. Were they still pretending to be friends? It was hard to tell. Marth didn't mind actually being friends with the older man. Link, on the other hand…it was difficult to say. His voice seemed to jolt the green-clad person out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh…yeah…see you around, Marth…" Link muttered. The college student nodded once more, waving to Pit. It warmed him to see Pit wave back.

"Bye, Marth!"

"Good-bye, Pit." The taste of those words made Marth want to rinse his mouth as soon as he got home. Marth went for his shoes near the entrance to the exit. Each movement made to leave the place screamed for the student to stop, yet he ignored them. It was late. He had to get home. He had promised Link that he would leave them alone. Marth had given his word.

When Marth straightened up after putting on his shoes, he saw Link standing at the entrance of the kitchen a bit awkwardly. The man shuffled his feet, his eyes sliding away from Marth's gaze. His hands twitched slightly, and Marth noticed how crumpled the box of cigarettes looked in Link's tight grasp. Although the blunette was curious as to why Link seemed so hesitant all of sudden when he clearly showed him the door, he said nothing to let the man take the first step. Like everything else, he didn't mind waiting. He gave the dad some time to collect himself before he drew breath to say:

"Um, Marth…I'm working late tomorrow and won't be home long after Pit's bedtime. He's a good boy and does as he's told. Still, I'm a bit worried. I know I've been rude, but I would appreciate it if you could watch Pit tomorrow, if you're not busy. I usually ask his brother, but I can't reach him for some reason. And I really don't have anybody else on the line. Besides…Pit seems to be comfortable with you, and I know how difficult it is for him to open up to strangers. I don't want to call on somebody he doesn't know. Will you do it?"

Link's request had a slight pleading tone at the end that Marth couldn't help noticing. The college student blinked in reply. If he wasn't busy? What did he have on his to-do list for tomorrow? At the current moment, he couldn't remember. Maybe there was something important. Maybe there wasn't. He didn't care. Marth nodded, making sure to keep his expression constant as to not let Link know about the growing warmth the young man felt from the older man's request.

"I can do that, Link."

Link released a pent-up sigh of relief. "Thank you. I really appreciate it. Can you come tomorrow around seven?"

The college student nodded his agreement. "I'll see you tomorrow then," Marth said as he turned away to open the door. Thankfully he turned away quickly enough to prevent the older man from seeing the soft smile spread slowly on Marth's face. He didn't exactly know how to describe the sensation he was feeling as he left that house with the bubbles, but it was all right with him. As long as he knew it felt good and where to get it, he was content. And he was glad that he would still have more chances to experience that sensation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Everybody's humanized. So...no wings for Pit or Dark Pit. Sorry. They will have something that slightly represent them though...so that's something, right?
> 
> 2\. I find it funny that I have Pit, who explicitly said that he doesn't like Link or Marth in Lady Palutena's Guidance, interacts pretty well with them here. Well...that's AU for you...yeah...
> 
> 3\. I know loitering's not allowed in some areas, but could you really get arrested for it? I don't know...I don't loiter. At least...I don't look like I do. Hehehe...
> 
> 4\. Chapter title (sorry for you people out there) is a reference to chemistry. I don't like it either, but when I was typing this, I was in the chemistry zone. So...yeah...


	4. That Invisible Door Somewhere

It was a lie. Marth's to-do list on that specific day had the most out of all his days. He had two lectures to attend and work right after. Knowing his job, somebody probably ditched that day to force Marth into doing more than he was required for his normal wages. Even then he wouldn't get any compensation for his extra work. And if Marth chose to really remember that mental list of his, he also had a few midterms that he should be studying for.

So what was he doing at six-forty in the morning heading down 64th Avenue? Why, Marth was simply keeping his promise of watching Pit to Link of course. Did he need any other good reason? Meta would have answered with a scolding yes and a lecture on priorities. And Marth would have answered back with a shrugging no. In all honesty, Marth knew that he shouldn't have told Link that he was able to watch Pit today. However he could not help himself. When he found a chance to break his initial promise to Link with the older man's consent, he simply had to take it. After meeting Pit, there was no way Marth could let him go. It was a strange sensation, he admitted to himself, one that he hadn't experienced before. It was almost as if he never wanted to leave the boy's side…there was something about Pit that just drew him in. Maybe that's why Marth wanted to meet up with the boy again. To find out exactly what was happening to him. He already solved the mystery of the bubble blower. Now he had to determine the reason for this strange wanting.

Despite that thought, Marth doubted that was the true purpose of his seeing Pit again.

When Marth knocked, it took a while for Link to open the door. Marth hid a grin at the surprised look at the older man's face. The student could clearly see from Link's rumpled attire that he had just gotten into the groove of his morning rituals. Second thoughts stabbed at the green-clad man to reconsider, but Link quickly shook those thoughts away. "You're here pretty early," he commented, an eyebrow raised.

Marth shrugged in response, "I didn't want to be late." Link thought about it for a moment before nodding in agreement. Granted he himself wouldn't be able to wake up as early as the younger man for a simple enough request such as the one he asked him to do, but he truly appreciated Marth's dedication to the bubble blower known as Pit. Link stopped that thought. Now that he pondered about it, he was slightly creeped out by it more than he appreciated it. Who showed this much enthusiasm to a person they just met? The man couldn't fathom why Marth spent so much of his time in an attempt to see the bubbles and their maker. Still, at least the young man simply stood by instead of actually breaking into their house. Link opened the door wider to admit the college student inside. Marth stepped in, this time without the hesitation that he first came in with yesterday.

Link closed the door behind him. "You can go ahead and sit in the living room," he muttered as he quickly stepped into the kitchen. Marth nodded his head in acknowledgement. The college student moved into the familiar room. Spotting the couch, Marth sat in the same spot as he did yesterday. The only thing that was missing was Pit standing at the stairway and the awkwardness between Marth and Link.

The house retained its usual silence. It was as quiet as it was yesterday. Though supposedly soothing, Marth found it slightly eerie. It was as if there was no life at all to occupy the place despite the presence of the family. The morning light reached in through slight slits, lightening the gray area just a bit. The house still looked a bit gloomy though. Marth shook off that forbidding sensation as he leaned back in a more comfortable position. His mind wandered at what the day had in store for him. After Link left, Marth would probably have to get Pit to school and pick him up afterwards. Probably make sure that the boy finished his homework before he was allowed to play any games or such. The college student wondered briefly where Pit went to school before dismissing that thought as he was sure Link would tell him later. His mind then went back to thinking about what they would do the rest of the day. Though he wished to simply watch the boy blow his bubbles, Marth was sure that if they did that whole day, Pit would be bored. Maybe he should think up of activities for them to do? Or perhaps Pit simply wanted to be left alone. Considering his age, it would make sense that Pit wouldn't want to do anything with his "babysitter". For some reason Marth hoped that wasn't true.

After a few minutes Link stepped into the living room. At the sight of the older man Marth straightened up in attention. He watched Link shake out a brown jacket to wear it. While pulling his arms through the sleeves, the older man said:

"Pit's still sleeping upstairs. His room's the one on the right. There's leftover spaghetti in the fridge and a variety of other things. Help yourself to anything in there for lunch and dinner. For breakfast, Pit always has his butter spread in a picture or something on his toast. Nothing too fancy. A star would suffice. I don't want him watching too much TV but an hour of it is fine. And don't let him blow his bubbles inside. His bedtime's at nine thirty. Make sure he's in bed by then. If you have any trouble with him or questions, my number's at the phone."

Marth listened carefully to everything Link told him, storing it away safely in his mind for the near future. When the man finished his rules and his dressing, the college student frowned. Something strange stood out to him.

"His school?"

"What?"

"Pit's school. Where does he go for school?"

At that question, Link shook his head solemnly, "Pit doesn't go to school." The quizzical look was clear on the student's face, yet either Link didn't see or he chose to ignore it. He quickly disappeared into the foyer for his shoes. Marth blinked in surprise at the news. The boy looked younger than him, about high-school age, yet why didn't he go to school? Marth stood up from his spot and walked to the foyer. He saw Link finish forcing his feet into his shoes. His curiosity urged him to ask the reasoning for why Pit didn't go to school, yet something held him back. He simply stood by and stared for Link to finish. When he did so, the older man then straightened and opened the door to step outside into the chilly wind. However before he left, Link turned around to fix a critical eye on Marth. "Also…Pit is not allowed outside. No excuses. No exceptions. I don't want to hear any of it."

The door cut Marth away from the outside world before he could stop it. Link's last statement surprised him so much that he stood in the same spot for the longest time. It was only until a branch from the outside hit the side of the house did Marth snap out of his confusion. The college student looked around as if he had been startled awake. The house was as silent as ever, making Marth question what Pit's life was like without school to occupy him. Although he knew that he himself could simply sit around all day doing absolutely nothing productive at all, Marth found himself hoping that Pit's life didn't reflect his own.

Speaking of the boy, Marth debated whether he should go on upstairs to wake him up or let him be. The college student returned to the living room, the question still in his head. The room clock told him that seven o two marked the time. Since the boy didn't have to go to school, Marth felt no need to wake him up so early. He would allow Pit to sleep for as long as he wanted to. In the meantime perhaps he would sit back on the couch to contemplate about whatever stole his mind at the moment. Should he hear the sounds of Pit getting up, then Marth would make breakfast for the boy. As a result the college student ended up simulating a usual afternoon at his own place. He entertained himself slightly with the notion of how his butt print already marked how long he stayed in the same spot on the sofa. He spent the passing minutes staring at the seconds' hand of the mini-grandfather clock hanging on the wall. The clock chimed seven times once the hands clicked in place.

It took until seven thirty did Marth hear the creaking of a door opening carefully. The young man sprung up from his seat a bit more vigorously than he would have liked. He headed towards and upwards the stairs. His way lacked light for a few moments until he reached the top. Light streamed in from an open door amidst the row of closed doors. There Marth smiled slightly at the sight of Pit stumbling towards the bathroom just a little way down his room. The boy's shirt displayed rumbled signs of sleep along with his more-than-usual messy hair. His grogginess prevented his sixth sense from notifying him of the person observing him from behind. When Pit closed the door, Marth started back downstairs. Instead of returning to the couch, he headed into the kitchen this time to prepare breakfast for the little guy.

The college student grabbed the bag of bread and a pack of butter from the fridge. He stared inside the fridge for a brief moment before closing the door. Their refrigerator held some interesting ingredients, and he was sure he would be able to make a good dinner for them. He looked over at the counter briskly to ensure that there was a rice cooker for him. Taking out two pieces, Marth placed them into the toaster oven. One twist of the hand got the machine heating. He left the bread be to locate the dishes and utensils' whereabouts. It took a while but he managed to find them without turning the kitchen upside down. In the process he also checked inside the rice cooker frowning when there was nothing inside. He'd do something about that, he decided. After setting the plate down close to the toaster oven, Marth searched the kitchen again for the rice bag. He found it and scooped up one and a half cups of rice. He set out to washing the rice thoroughly but not before he checked on the bread and turned them to toast their other side. He finished up with washing the rice but didn't start the machine even after putting the container back in. The blunette exhaled slightly through his nose when everything was good and done. He leaned against the counter, his eyes trained on the toaster oven.

Marth turned to look at where he thought he heard a slight squeak coming from it. Pit's white fingers peeked from the doorway along with a portion of his face. The curiosity was clear in the boy's eyes. The sight of the boy reminded Marth of Link's instructions, along with the questions that plagued him. However he buried his curiosity for the moment. Now was not the time for him to ask assault the poor boy with his questions. The college student straightened up from his relaxed position. He smiled slightly in hopes of keeping the boy here and not scare him off. "Hey, Pit," he said softly.

Pit's fingers regained their colors as the boy stepped clear from the door a bit hesitantly. "Hi, Marth…it's…good to see you again…" he said shyly, his hands writhing together behind his back.

"It's good to see you too." A slight ding notified Marth that Pit's bread was done. The blunette carefully pulled the bread out onto the plate. He set the breakfast where Pit sat yesterday. Taking the butter knife, Marth proceeded to spread the butter on the hot bread. He remembered Link's instructions at the last minute and drew a star on the food. He returned the bread to the plate before grabbing the next one. Pit finally moved again, this time to actually take his seat. His eyes lit up at the sight of the yellow star contrasting the warm brown of the grain. Marth smiled slightly when Pit bit into his breakfast. The boy made sounds of delight as he continued to scarf down his food. When he was done with the first piece, Marth finished his next drawing. The college student placed the bread in front of him. Pit looked at it joyfully before his expression changed to one of confusion. He tilted his head to the side as he examined the butter etched on his breakfast. He could make out a head along with what seemed to be a dress. However there were two appendages too big to be arms sticking out from it along with something on top of the head. After much deliberation, the boy turned to his babysitter.

"What is it?"

"It's a picture of an angel," Marth explained. He pointed towards appendages. "These are the wings, and here's the halo." His finger moved to the object above the angel's head. Upon closer examination, Pit could now see what Marth went for. Yet his confusion lingered for a moment longer. The boy switched his attention from the angel to the blunette. He blinked.

"What's an angel?"

Marth raised his eyebrow a fraction at Pit's lack of knowledge but he quickly got his expression back under control. Did the boy really not know what an angel was? Perhaps Marth shouldn't be so quick to judge. "An angel is usually a human with wings who serves God," the college student explained. "They have these round things called halos that shine like the sun. It's one of the things that show that they're an angel." From Marth's clear explanation, Pit's confusion cleared away to excitement.

"Dad never drew me things like this! It's really pretty, Marth!" Pit acclaimed. A warm feeling rose in the college student's chest. He enjoyed the look of innocent joy on the younger boy's face. He leaned forward with an encouraging smile.

"Go on and eat it."

"I almost don't want to…will you draw it again?"

"If you want me to, sure."

Once he was sure that he had Marth's promise, Pit carefully ate his breakfast, saving the parts with the butter angel for last. After he finished the last piece of the halo, he smiled shyly at Marth. "Thank you again."

"It's no problem," Marth took the plate and placed it into the sink. He was about to wash it when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Pit reaching for the plate.

"I can do it."

Before he even finished the sentence, Marth was already shaking his head. He moved the slightly dirty plate far from Pit's reach. He hid a smile at Pit's crestfallen face. "It's fine, Pit. It's not that dirty anyways. Go ahead and play." The boy faltered slightly. He wasn't used to somebody doing his chores for him. He always did the dishes after every meal, and it felt strange not to feel the water splashing over his hands to help him clean. However he didn't want to possibly make Marth angry so he backed away. Yet he still stood there, waiting for Marth to finish with the cleaning. When the college student did, he looked at Pit curiously. The boy seemed at a lost of what to do, and so was he, in all honesty. Again Marth questioned what occupied most of Pit's time considering how school didn't distract him. After much consideration, he decided the best way to solve that was to simply ask.

"So, what do you want to do, Pit?"

The younger boy blinked in surprise before looking towards the ground. He shuffled his feet timidly, his hands behind his back once again. "I don't know…" he mumbled. Marth frowned slightly but quickly cleared his expression before the boy could see it. Although Pit seemed to be a bit more comfortable with him, it was still clear that the boy's nerves shook him and stopped him from warming up to Marth even more. If he wanted Pit to relax in his presence, the blunette knew he would have to continue to be slow and gentle with him. From what he saw, it was slightly similar to stranger anxiety.

Seeing how Pit still hesitated, Marth tried a different tact, "What do you usually do? I'm happy with anything."

Pit looked up briefly. Marth's warmth was short-lived as the boy turned to the ground for comfort once again. "…" Marth heard him mumble. The college student frowned.

"Can you speak up, please?" he asked gently. From his high position, Marth saw Pit's ears flushing with red. After what seemed like hours to one of them, Pit finally gathered his courage. He looked up with pleading eyes.

"Can you tell me a story?"

Marth blinked. Out of all the possible answers Pit could have given him, that wasn't something he expected. Despite his initial surprise, Marth quickly recomposed himself. He smiled at the boy, "Of course." Ah, those sapphire eyes were shining with joy again. He could feel his heart beating faster simply from staring into Pit's eyes. It made him want to widen his smile. The college student gently pushed Pit towards the living room, the younger boy following willingly. Pit plopped on the couch quickly, almost bouncing up and down with excitement. Marth settled in his usual spot and made himself comfortable. He turned to see the ocean depths staring at him expectantly. "What kind of story do you like?" Marth asked.

"Can…can you tell me a good story?" Pit replied, his eyes wide. Marth raised an eyebrow. That…really wasn't much for him to go off on. One thing's for sure, he shouldn't even tread into the horror genre. The blunette crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought. He could still feel those eyes on him as he searched his mind for an appropriate story. Exactly what kind of story did he have? He figured that Pit wouldn't be at all interested in his own life. Besides, Marth's life was absolutely boring. Perhaps some history? Naw, Pit's interest didn't seem to overlap in that area either. After running through some more ideas, he thought back to how excited Pit was to see the angel on his toast. Perhaps the boy wanted a new story. Marth wasn't sure whether Pit knew about the classic tales such as Snow White and Cinderella. Despite the slim chance that he didn't know, Marth decided to spin his own story.

"…all right. I have one," Marth cleared his throat.

"Are you okay?" Pit asked suddenly. The young man looked at the boy in surprise. His question sounded genuine as his eyes were wide with fear.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"It's…it's just that you made the same sound as Dad does whenever he's sick," Pit muttered worriedly. "I thought you might be getting sick."

Marth furrowed his brow before stepping into Pit's shoes. He had to admit the clearing of his throat did sound like a cough, but the boy should have known the difference, right? Besides, coughing didn't always mean an illness. It was simply the body's way of clearing the way to breathe. Nothing bad about it. "I was just clearing my throat. I'm not getting sick, so don't worry about it," Marth explained. Pit's eyes slowly returned to their normal size as he took that information in. After a moment's hesitation, the boy finally nodded.

"Okay…"

The blunette smiled reassuringly, "It's absolutely fine, Pit. Now let's get on with that story…in a time far from our own, there lived a magnificent being. He was taller than Mount Everest…"

"What's Mount Everest?" Pit asked.

Marth resisted the urge raise another eyebrow. Did the boy not know about the highest mountain of their planet? Apparently, if he was asking Marth about it. Despite his wonderment at Pit's lack of knowledge, Marth answered gently, "Mount Everest is the highest mountain around here, nearing twenty nine thousand twenty nine feet above sea level."

"Is…is that high?"

"Very. Some people managed to climb it though."

Pit's eyes went wide again, this time with amazement, "They did? That's amazing!"

The college student nodded. "They became quite famous for it."

"Can you tell me that story?"

"Which story do you want to hear then?" a teasing smile played on Marth's lips. At that question the boy reared back in surprise. His eyes sliding away from Marth's gaze, Pit bit his lip in thought as he twisted his T-shirt slightly.

"Can…can you tell me both of them?" the boy finally asked in a quivering voice. He didn't lift his head to meet Marth's face. He started slightly when he felt a hand pat his head. The touch prompted him to look up. Marth's cerulean eyes, a tad shade darker than his own, greeted him warmth.

"Of course I can. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"…can you tell me about the people who climbed Mount Everest?"

"Certainly. Many people attempted to climb Mount Everest. Most…" Marth paused on the verge of saying the truth. He quickly revised it, "don't succeed in climbing it. The first people to ever make it were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, nicknamed Nana and Popo by their companions." From there he continued to tell Pit the tale of the first successful expedition for Mount Everest's submit. The boy listened, eyes wide in awe. More than once in a while, he would chime in with a question that Marth patiently answered each time. Pit's questions soon diverged their attention from Mount Everest to snow, the four seasons, a myth how they came to be, and other tales. The time passed quickly for both of them, and Marth realized belatedly how Pit still haven't had lunch yet. It was only until their stomachs growl did they leave the couch to head into the kitchen.

Marth quickly grabbed the leftover spaghetti to serve as their lunch. As he prepared the spaghetti sauce and noodles, Pit set about getting the bowls and forks. In the middle of preparation, Marth started to cook the rice. "For dinner," he told a questioning Pit. Soon they found themselves facing each other with their own lunch in front of them. Their mouths, occupied with spaghetti, allowed no conversations to be passed. That was fine with Marth for the time being as his mind was spinning.

The questions that Pit asked him throughout the morning made him inquire once again about the boy's life. The answers to Pit's curiosity were usually something any normal person would know, such as Mount Everest being the highest mountain, or animals having the inability to speak their language. There were even times when he had asked Marth the meaning of certain words. Judging the boy's age through his appearance, Pit should have known those basic things. Why wouldn't he then? And why didn't he attend school like the other kids? It didn't make any sense as Marth could clearly see how much Link loved his son. Perhaps that was the reason for his refusal to allow the boy to go to class? The temptation to ask Pit those questions resurfaced, yet Marth quelled it once again.

"I never knew people could do those things," Pit finally muttered. Marth blinked, his eyes refocusing on the boy in front of him. There was an expression on his face that the blunette couldn't really describe. It seemed to mix awe with joy, satisfaction, and sorrow into one. Pit twirled his fork to scoop up the last of his noodles.

"People can do amazing things," Marth commented. It was true. They could do amazing things, but they were also prone to stupid things as well.

"Can I do that too?" the boy asked, the hope clear in his voice. Despite himself, Marth couldn't help but smile at the hopeful boy.

"I believe you can." The light in Pit's eyes brightened for a moment from the support before dimming from an unknown source. He slumped in his chair, his last noodles still uneaten. Marth's smile also faltered at the sudden loss of hope from the boy. "Pit? What's wrong?" he inquired worriedly.

"…Dad won't let me. It's too dangerous outside," Pit whispered.

At the answer, Marth leaned back in surprise. Did Pit really believe that the outside world was a dangerous place? What made him think of such a thing? The memory of Link warning Marth not to let his son outside struck the college student once again. Perhaps it was the boy's father who discouraged Pit from leaving the house. Marth wondered briefly whether he could convince Pit that it was a lie, that despite the dangers the outside world could be welcoming as well.

"Have you…ever been outside before?" the question was out before Marth could stop it. Surprise reflected on both faces. However, on one of those faces, fear mixed in clearly.

Pit shook his head frantically. "No. It's too dangerous."

Although Marth's expression simply changed to wipe away the surprise, inside was a different story. His heart beating rapidly, his mind racing, the college student sat quietly to take it what he had just learned. Pit…had never stepped foot outside of his house. The boy never left this house. He feared what the outside would do to him. Yet thinking back to how he hung onto every word Marth spoke, the blunette never would have guessed that the very idea of stepping outside terrorized Pit. The boy showed a natural curiosity and a requisite to learn more about what petrified him. Perhaps that had to do with how what scared people captivated their attention much like how somebody wouldn't be able to tear their eyes away from a horrid sighting. This new knowledge explained to Marth the very reason why Pit knew less things than an average third-grader. The babysitter suddenly felt the desire to simply take the boy's hand and lead him outside to show that he had nothing to fear. It was slightly ironic, considering Marth's own views with the world. He could care less about it, yet the boy in front of him feared it so. Marth didn't want Pit to be trapped by that.

And he was about to give into that temptation, until his mind reminded him of Link's instructions. _"Pit is not allowed outside. No excuses. No exceptions."_ The memory of the father's stern face stopped him just in time. Should he have done it, Link may have forbid the young man from seeing his son ever again, this time permanently. Marth didn't want to risk that. No, he couldn't risk that. Now that he thought about it again, if he had pushed Pit head-first outside, the boy would undoubtedly be scarred for life. No, now was not the right time.

"I see," Marth simply said. The college student grabbed his empty bowl and moved towards the sink. He heard a slight cry of sorrow the moment he moved yet he didn't turn around. It was only when he felt something tackle his back did he crane his head to look.

"I-I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me!" Pit cried in Marth's shirt. The boy's short arms wrapped around the bigger body in a tight hug. The blunette tightened his lips not in aggravation but in wonderment of how he would get out of this situation. Pit had trapped him at the sink and it was slightly awkward for Marth to stand like this. He held up his hands to twist his body around. When he felt the older person move, Pit looked up. It broke Marth's heart to see tears gathering at the corner of the boy's eyes.

Yet for the life of him, he couldn't fathom what made Pit start to cry.

"Why would I be mad at you?" the astonishment was clear in Marth's tone and eyes as he asked that question.

"You're…you're not mad?"

"I couldn't get mad at you," Marth said truthfully, smiling gently. Feeling that his smile was not enough to reassure the boy, he patted Pit's soft head tenderly. The touch seemed to soothe Pit as his sniffles lessoned.

"R-really?"

"Really. Now why don't you bring your bowl over so we can clean it? I'll tell you more stories when we're done."

Marth's proposal sounded very appealing to Pit, yet he still hesitated slightly. Although his babysitter did say that he wasn't mad, Pit still wasn't sure. It was only until Marth pushed Pit towards the table as a hint did the boy finally move. He grabbed his own bowl and placed it into the sink. This time Marth allowed Pit to help him with the dishwashing. They finished that chore quickly, allowing them to head into the living room for another session of story time. Marth spent the rest of the day telling Pit multiple fairy tales. Some of the more popular ones, the boy knew. Thankfully Marth remembered a couple of stories from an old childhood book he still kept today. He enjoyed Pit's enraptured attention and the way his eyes widened in awe. Similarly to their earlier session, Pit asked multiple questions concerning not only the context of the tales but also their history. His babysitter happily answered all of them. For certain parts of his anecdotes, Marth also drew out some of the things he described so that Pit could visualize them better. The discovery of Marth's art led to Pit begging the college student to teach him how to draw as he did. Marth had ruffled Pit's hair and made his promise. He always felt a flush of satisfaction whenever he saw that blissful twinkle in the boy's eyes. He liked how he was able to introduce Pit to so many new things that were far from the boy's imagination. Marth found himself wishing that the day would never end.

Of course, a wish like that could not be granted as evening fell. From the corner of his eye, Marth saw the streaks of orange and pink that signaled the amount of time that had passed. It was time for dinner, and Marth remembered about his plan for it. He ended his tale of Rapunzel on a happy note of her marriage before standing up from the couch. Pit also straightened up, shooting his babysitter a mostly questioning and slightly disappointed look.

"It's time for dinner, Pit," Marth answered the silent question. He strolled into the kitchen. Quiet pitter-patter alerted him of Pit's presence behind him.

"What are we having?" the boy asked curiously. He remembered how they had finished the spaghetti from yesterday and knew that that wasn't an option. "Is Dad going to joining us?"

"Sorry, but your father's going to be late coming home tonight," the college student replied as he opened the fridge for the third time that day. "I'm going to make something nice for all of us." Grabbing all the necessary ingredients without a blink of an eye, Marth closed the door and headed towards some of the cupboards to get other items. Pit watched with his head tilted to the side at the assortment of different foodstuffs Marth placed on the counter. "Pit." At the sound of his name, said boy jumped. "Can you wash these for me?" Marth handed him two stalks of broccoli and an onion. Pit nodded, excited that he would be able to help. He usually stayed out of the way while his dad made dinner. His only use in the kitchen was to set up the table. The boy hurried over to the sink while Marth worked on the beef with cornstarch, water, and garlic powder. Soon afterwards, Marth had the beef over a stove. He was still cooking it when Pit held the washed broccoli and onion towards him.

"I'm done with the washing!" he said happily.

Marth couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Pit. Could you go and stir the rice a bit?" Pit nodded. He grabbed the rice scooper and headed towards the cooker. Marth himself set out to cut the broccoli and onion to stir-fry them. His hands moved in a blur, the vegetables soon in the desired pieces. The college student added them to skillet for another four to five minutes. He returned the beef to the stove along with a few new seasonings. "You can go ahead and scoop out bowls of rice for us, Pit," Marth said, mixing the beef and broccoli together. The boy nodded obediently. Now he was back to his usual job. Pit didn't mind, especially with dinner so close to finishing. His mouth salivated simply from the wafting aroma of Marth's skillet. When he deemed that the main course was ready, Marth turned off the heat. He took the skillet off the stove to pour a portion on their rice for both of them, ensuring that there was a decent amount left Link in case the older man was hungry. As he went to return the skillet, Pit sat down. He fidgeted slightly, his eyes trained on the bowl in front of him. It didn't help that the food smelled absolutely delicious and listening to Marth's stories made him hungry. Yet despite the boy's obvious hunger, Marth was impressed to see Pit showing such restraint. It was only until Marth was seated and picked up his spoon did Pit dig in.

For the thousandth time that day, Pit's eyes widened. "This is delicious!" he shouted as he scarfed down his food. Marth smiled at the boy's enthusiasm for his food. The thought that it needed a bit more onions passed briefly before disappearing. Marth ate his food moderately compared to Pit. He was only halfway done when the boy sitting across sighed happily. Marth looked to see Pit's bowl completely empty.

"Was it really that good?" he asked teasingly. To his mild surprise, Pit nodded excitedly.

"It was really delicious! I didn't know you could cook like that, Marth!"

That little statement made Marth chuckle a bit. As it was the first time he heard it, Pit flushed slightly at Marth's laughter. He looked to the table in order to hide his beet-red face. "Well…I'm glad you liked it," Marth said, the smile still on his face. At the sound of the blunette's voice, Pit couldn't help but look up to return the smile. He admitted to himself that he was a bit tempted to ask for seconds. However he thought about how his dad wasn't home at the moment, so the rest of the food was probably meant for him. Instead Pit leapt from his chair to wash the dishes once again. Marth soon joined him at the sink, repeating the afternoon with the roles of soaping and rinsing reversed. They worked quietly side-by-side as they swiftly cleaned up the kitchen. When everything was good and done, Marth turned to Pit with a question, "Do you still want to hear more stories?"

At Marth's prompting, the boy nodded excitedly. The warm sensation returned to Marth as he led Pit back into the living room. Despite how the only activities they did were tell, listen, and question, both of them enjoyed the time they spent together. It wasn't by all means productive, but it warmed both of them and allowed them to relax in each other's company. Marth carried on his fairy tale stories, Pit hanging onto every word intently. When Marth finally ran out of old childhood tales he began making up his own. He continued the very first story he started with, about the being as high as Mount Everest. As he told that story he noticed how his fiction enraptured Pit in a way unlike the other tales. Pit displayed more emotion at every twist and turn of the plot, more so than with the other stories. Just as Marth reached the part about the magnificent being meeting a young woman after shrinking itself to mingle with the people, he heard something chiming. Two heads, one blue, one brown, snapped up in unison to eye the clock hanging on the wall.

Pit sighed when he recognized the positioning of the hands. The clock read nine, thirty minutes before his bedtime. Marth recognized it as well. However, unlike Pit, Marth didn't see it as a time to go to sleep. He saw it as the time for this day to end, and for him to leave. The air of adventure and romance quickly dampened to one of sorrow and misgivings. Despite that noticeable change, the college student attempted to remain as light-hearted as possible.

"Looks like it's time for bed, Pit," Marth hinted softly. Pit was simply too obedient to ask for a few more minutes of wakefulness. Instead he nodded and stood up from his spot on the couch. Yesterday he had bounced up the stairs. Tonight he seemed to hesitate at every step. Marth craned to watch the boy leave. Even after he disappeared, the college student continued to watch the entrance to the stairs. It was only until he heard the echo of a door closing that he turned back to blankly face the TV.

Now what? Truth to be told, Marth had lost track of time. Before he actually noted the correct time to have lunch and dinner. Now, if the clock hadn't chimed as a reminder, Marth and Pit probably would have been sitting in the same spot until ten o'clock at night. And that wouldn't fare well with Link. Speaking of Link, Marth wondered when the older man was going to return home. He neglected to give a specific time. Either way the college student had no intention of leaving Pit alone after the boy had gone to sleep. He would wait until he was certain that Pit had another person he trusted in the same house as him.

Marth turned his mind back to his own recent time-keeping failure. Usually he had an excellent sense of time-keeping. This time he was completely distracted with Pit. But how? And why? They practically did the same thing three times today. The first two times Marth was able to time the meals correctly. However this last time the babysitter almost completely forgot if it hadn't been for that cursed clock. Perhaps it was because in the back of his mind, he knew that once that clock struck nine-thirty, Link had no use of him watching over his son anymore? Was that why he overlooked the time-keeping this moment? That explanation he thought of sounded logical and possible to him.

The sound of feet moving downstairs prompted Marth to snap out of his thoughts. He turned to see Pit standing nervously at the bottom of the steps. The boy shuffled his feet as he stared at the floor instead of Marth. Seeing how the boy wasn't going to make the first move, the college student decided to do so. "Yes, Pit?"

Pit jumped slightly at the sudden sound of Marth's voice. Despite his initial scare though, he gathered his courage to look up and meet Marth straight in the eye. "Can…can you tuck me in? Dad usually does it," he murmured. Marth blinked twice before a slight smile showed itself on the normally blank face.

"Of course. I'll tuck you in," Marth said as he stood up. Pit's anxiety gave way to relief and happiness. He waited until his babysitter was near before bounding up the stairs like a rabbit. The smile still on his face, Marth followed the boy up. The college student saw his little friend go into the room where the light streamed in from this morning. Marth shadowed close behind, stepping carefully into Pit's bedroom.

Naturally Marth began to examine the room for any other possible information about the boy. A small lamp hung from the ceiling, its bulb lighting the room just enough. A simple bed waited patiently in one corner with a small nightstand while two wardrobes stood on the opposite side of the room. A table was pushed against the wall left to the closed window with a chair accompanying it. The young man blinked in recognition of the bubble bottle standing on the table Pit used to blow those soapy spheres. Seeing it brought a brief wave of nostalgia to the college student. His attention was snapped away when Pit leapt onto the bed. Marth hid a grin as the boy bounced up slightly from the springs of the bed. He made his way to the bed and draped the covers over the boy, making sure that Pit was comfortable. The boy pulled the blanket up to his chin, his fingers peeking from underneath.

"Can you pull the curtains, please, Marth?" Pit asked in a small voice. Marth looked to the window. He saw how the moon shone through, illuminating an invisible rectangle on the wooden floor. He turned back to Pit.

"Why don't I leave them open? The moon's very pretty tonight."

Pit shook his head frantically, "I don't want anybody crawling through…" Marth blinked at that. However he knew that by now he shouldn't be surprised by that fact. He looked back to the window. Though he didn't want to scare Pit, he also didn't want to leave the boy in total darkness when he turned off the light. He might be used to it, but a little bit of light went a long way in a child's developing mind. After a moment of debate, Marth turned his attention back to Pit.

"How about I leave the curtains open but lock the window? Would that be all right?"

"Would…would people be able to get in? Big brother told me how some people could climb through the windows," Pit said in a small voice. Oh, Marth almost forgot that Pit had a brother. Almost. Again, Marth may be whimsical but he wasn't stupid. The college student smiled and shook his head reassuringly.

"That's why we lock the window," he explained as he went to the window. He checked the lock mechanism, attempting to pull up the window without success to demonstrate to Pit. The boy still looked unsure though, so the babysitter had no choice but to pull the curtains slightly. It covered the moon a bit, but there was still a reasonable amount of moonlight left on the floor to serve as a natural nightlight. Only then Pit seemed to relax. "Anything else?" Marth asked.

Pit blinked once before twiddling his thumbs. Marth smiled at the familiar hesitation that the boy always showed before making a small request that required no nervousness. "Can…can you give me a good night kiss like Dad?" he asked nervously. His face flushed slightly, though Marth could tell the flush was not involved in embarrassment. More of fear that his request would be denied. Marth smiled good-naturedly.

"Of course," he moved to the bed's side once again. He leaned down to kiss Pit's forehead lightly.

Yet Marth did not expect Pit to lift his head up to meet Marth's lips with his own. The college student's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden development. It was a quick kiss as Pit's head fell back on the fluffy pillow, yet the shock was still on Marth's face. Pit's innocent smile turned fearful as Marth still wouldn't move from his frozen position.

"Is something wrong, Marth?"

At the sound of the boy's voice, Marth finally snapped out of it. He blinked before shaking his head. "No. Nothing's wrong," he said. He smiled slightly as he stroke Pit's forehead, "Good night, Pit."

"Good night, Marth," Pit smiled cheerfully. He watched his babysitter leave the room before closing his eyes and slowing his breath. Marth lingered outside the room, his eyes still trained on the boy. After that moment's hesitation he clicked the light off and closed the door, the last thing he saw in the room being the small strip of moonlight.

Marth slowly walked down the stairs, his mind buzzing and blanking at the same time. Of the things that happened today, what just transpired was something he did not expect at all to happen. He felt the need to drive the memory away from his mind for the moment, let his thoughts shimmer down before he could approach it rationally. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Marth sat in the same spot as he did the whole day. He leaned back in a relaxing position, his eyes trained on the hanging grandfather clock. He again wondered when Link would return home more for the sake of thinking about something than anything else. It would have been troublesome for anybody else, yet Marth didn't mind it at all. Even if Link came home at this moment, Marth would still simply go home and do the same thing as he was doing now. So there wasn't much difference for him.

Despite his eyes on the clock, Marth didn't really focus on it. He was more occupied with how he would deal with Link. He would have been reexamining his day with Pit. However his mind would always wander back to that one thing, shattering everything else. Since he would be too distracted with that Marth had no choice but to put memories of Pit to the side for now. Instead he worked on his arguments to convince Link to let him visit more often should there be a need for them.

The clock chimed eleven. Marth looked up when he heard footsteps on the foyer. Link stumbled in with a cigar in his mouth, muttering something under his breath. He stopped his mumble when he realized that his babysitter was still here. He started slightly in surprise at that. Link half-expected that Marth had gone home by now. Before the older man could say anything, Marth spoke up:

"Pit's already asleep. I made beef and broccoli stir-fry for dinner. Hope you don't mind."

"Huh? Oh, n-not at all," Link murmured. At Marth's mentioning of the food, Link's mouth salivated, the faint aroma also helping. He didn't realize how starving he was as he only had a small breakfast and quick lunch today. He shrugged off his jacket to place on one of the coat hooks. "You could have left after Pit fell asleep, you know."

"That wouldn't have been right," Marth said simply. The older man pursed his lips in thought. Truthfully, he was slightly glad that Marth didn't leave right after he had put Pit to sleep. Despite Pit being used to lonely days, Link still worried about his son whenever the older male was at work. It was a relief to have somebody keep an eye on Pit. More preferably Pit's older brother, but it couldn't be helped whenever that guy had something important to do. Speaking of which, Link was running low on his cigarettes…the green-clad man would have to contact him soon enough to replenish his supplies.

"Well…thank you very much for that. I really appreciate it," Link genuinely smiled at the young man. He reached for his wallet, "How many hours did you watch Pit? Fifteen hours?"

Marth shook his head, "I'm not taking your money." Link looked up in surprise at that statement. Before he could ask why, Marth quickly replied, "It's not a job, and I was happy to do it. Spending time with Pit was satisfying in itself."

"I still should compensate your time. You could have been doing other things," Link argued, his fingers still searching for a reasonable pay for the college student's time.

"I won't take your money," Marth repeated. "But if you feel that you have to repay me somehow, just let me visit Pit sometimes."

Link's head snapped up at that request. He was on the verge of refusing that without thinking when he stopped himself just in time. He eyed the young man critically. Despite their rocky beginning, Link felt that perhaps he could trust Marth. The college student was honest and reliable enough. It also seemed that Pit was comfortable enough with him that Link could leave the two alone without much problem. However, the older man still worried. It might not be a problem now, but it could result in conflict in the near future should Link continue to let Marth visit Pit. He didn't want his son to get so attached to a stranger, an extremely strange stranger at that. Yet Link wasn't sure when his job might call him away, leaving Pit alone again. Pit's older brother already made it clear that he didn't always have time for them. It would be useful to have a babysitter ready at any moment. But what if Pit got too attached to Marth? Link carefully weighed both costs and benefits in his mind.

He finally nodded in answer, "That's acceptable. You can come by anytime you like." A small weigh lifted from Link's shoulder when he saw Marth's expectant look turn to one of contentment.

"Thank you. I'm probably going to visit a lot in the future," Marth warned with a chuckle. Link shrugged helplessly.

"If that delicious smell coming from the kitchen is your beef and stir-fry broccoli, then I'd be mad not to let you back in the house," his helpless look turned to a smile, "I'm sure you're tired, Marth. You should get home."

Marth nodded in agreement. He stood up from his spot to head into the foyer. Link watched as the young man put on his shoes. In that familiar bad habit of his, he started to rethink his choices. However, Link drove that thought away. He hoped he made the right choice in accepting Marth's proposal. There was really nothing to it. The cost of his son getting attached to Marth was more of an unstable fear than anything. The benefits held more ground.

When Marth was done with his shoes, he straightened up. Link went past him to open the door. Marth instinctively wrapped his blue jacket tighter around him when the first blast of cold wind hit him. He would have to be crazy in the morning if he forwent his jacket. The college student nodded his gratitude to the older man, "Just heat up the beef and rice and you should be good to go. Good night, Link."

"Thanks for that. Good night, Marth." The door closed behind the blunette as he began his dark, lonely trek to his own apartment.

It was only until Marth was halfway home that he realized he didn't have his bubble dose for the day. However, considering how the day went, Marth felt that he didn't need to see the bubbles flying every evening anymore. Meeting and spending time with Pit was more than satisfying for the blunette. Now he allowed himself to rethink the events. Truthfully it didn't really bother him that Pit had kissed him on the lips. He had nothing against it like some people. It was a good thing that he wasn't the type to overreact as it would have undoubtedly scared Pit when it shouldn't. Still…

Marth touched his lips hesitantly with his fingers, as if afraid of some foreign infection. He wasn't sure whether it counted or not…but Pit stole his first kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. This just maybe my longest chapter yet. Twelve pages on Word. The longest I've done up until this point was ten pages. Quite a leap...
> 
> 2\. How ironic. Pit is originally an angel...yet he doesn't know what an angel is in here. Nice work, Blade. Nice work. And just how old is he? Uh...you guys would find out soon enough.
> 
> 3\. If only the first people to climb Mount Everest were named Nana and Popo...either way, the facts I presented about Mount Everest are true (not the nicknames, of course). I couldn't resist adding in the Ice Climbers. Just talking about some mountain-climbing, you just have to mention Ice Climbers...and Meta Knight...
> 
> 4\. The whole day was pretty repetitive, I know. But hey, that's just how Marth and Pit spent their day. Nice, simple, and warming. Well...until those revelations happened XD


	5. Passionfruit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just have to say...Senpai noticed me...I'm so happy...okay, you guys can carry on now.

After watching over Pit and despite what had happened on the first day, Marth began to visit almost on a daily basis, similarly to his bubble expeditions. He would speed-walk from his university to Pit's house, sometimes running to save time. Every time he knocked on the door of his desired location, Pit was always ready to let the college student in excitedly. They exchanged quick greetings before moving to the living room for any activities they felt like doing. Mostly Marth told Pit stories as he did the first day. Sometimes they broke that norm in favor of drawing, role-playing, or other indoor activities. Very rarely would Marth sit down and do some required work for his classes. Yet when he did, Pit didn't leave to do other things.

He stayed right by Marth's side throughout those secessions. Pit didn't mind that he had to wait for Marth to finish his work as he looked forward to what came afterwards. He remained as silent as possible, knowing better than to distract the college student during these uncommon moments. In the waiting tranquility Pit would either look at Marth biting his lips in concentration or stare at Marth's things with curiosity. Despite his desire to know what his new friend was doing, Pit always stilled his tongue. The college student rarely took long, and the two were back to spending time with each other. The aftermath of Marth's work usually had Pit bombarding him with more questions, mostly about the content of what he was doing. The blunette didn't mind answering those questions either, no matter how many besieged him. He happily answered all of them as if he was Pit's private tutor for the outside world.

Through Marth's influence, Pit began to learn more and more of the thing that terrified him. With each passing day the boy's fear lessoned bit by bit. Sometimes he managed to gather his courage and actually open the window in his bedroom to stick his head out, with Marth protectively encouraging him of course. Those moments lasted a few seconds before the boy reared back inside and slammed the window shut. He still refused to take a step outside, and Marth was perfectly fine with that. So long as the college student could spend time with the boy, he was fine with anything really. His request of Pit looking out the window was simply for the purpose of the boy getting some fresh air. Conditioning him for the moment Pit took his first step outside was an ulterior, but smaller motive. Better to take small steps than one huge footprint.

It soon became a tradition for the two to head up to Pit's room in the evening to blow bubbles. Most of the time, Marth simply watched the boy blow his translucent spheres. Being on the inside clearly possessed a better view than standing on the outside. Sometimes he took up the bubble wand to blow bubbles, to let Pit rest and entertain the boy. Pit delighted in seeing Marth blow bubbles. He always commented how extremely pretty the blunette's bubbles were. The college student always disagreed. As Pit's bubbles were to the Mona Lisa, Marth's bubbles, he saw, were to the Death of Your Eyes should such an ugly painting exist. Anybody else would not have been able to catch the difference between the bubbles blown. Not so Marth and Pit. The first time Marth disagreed with Pit on his bubble statement, the boy protested vehemently that what he said was right, that Marth's bubbles were much prettier. Seeing the younger male distressed like that the college student had no choice but to agree meekly. Their first fight, if you could call it that, made them silently agree to bury the topic. However both still refused to change his mind on whose bubbles were prettier, both convinced that the other blew the better orbs. They didn't mind at all though as their admiration of the other's bubbles only strengthened their bond.

Their day usually started ending with Link coming home and them eating dinner together. Marth steadily took on the role of the cook unless Link insisted on making the meal for that evening. Should one look in on the three at the table, it seemed as if they were a normal family having a nice meal together. The only thing missing when he came home and Pit jumped into his arms for a hug, Link had thought humorlessly one night, was a kiss from Marth like a good housewife. They were almost becoming a family. The college student always stayed with them until Pit's bedtime. When that time came, Pit always wanted both Link and Marth to tuck him in. However, Marth made sure that he avoided Pit's usual goodnight kiss. Whenever the boy asked for it, Marth would hurriedly kiss Pit's forehead before rushing out the door, Link wondering what could cause the college student's rush. After all, Marth would talk with Link for some time before heading home as the father bid the college student a farewell, demonstrating no real need for the rush. The first time Marth's strange action happened, Link gave him a look but didn't ask about it. While Pit was also curious, unlike his father, he actually asked the college student. The blunette honestly answered that Link probably wouldn't want to see that happening in front of him. Slight comprehension shone on the boy's face, and the matter was pursued no further, much to Marth's relief.

It was difficult to decide whether this change could be considered a positive one for Marth's life. It certainly looked like that with him becoming invested in and caring deeply for Pit, actually showing interest in something other than the blank wall in his living room for once. However he also began to neglect other things such as his lectures and work. And, he guiltily admitted to himself, his friends. He was reminded of one of the few important things in his life when his phone vibrated in his pocket one afternoon. The two males were laying in the living room on the floor with various papers scattered about.

Pit looked up from where he was drawing when the college student shifted to sit up. "Are you going to the bathroom?" he asked innocently. Marth quickly shook his head as he reached for his phone. Taking it out, the blunette saw that one of his friends had texted him. Seeing the name _Roy_ on the screen made Marth started guiltily. Pit pushed himself off the ground to watch Marth quickly text back a reply. Then the college student stored away his phone again. He looked at the younger male, who returned the gaze with his own curiosity.

"I need to help my friend with something, so I'm going to be a bit late coming tomorrow, all right, Pit?" Marth said. His heart sank slightly when he saw a brief flash of sorrow in the boy's eyes. He hated whenever Pit looked so distressed, even if it was never Marth's intentions to make him feel so bad. The sad expression didn't fit the boy. He should never have to make a face like that, ever. "I'll come as soon as I can," Marth attempted to reassure his companion.

Pit only nodded numbly. The awkward silence stretched between them as Marth's mind raced for some other reassurance he could give to the boy. He became a part of Pit's life so quickly and naturally that it felt strange to Pit to know that Marth also had a life outside of this place. He knew that he shouldn't keep Marth from doing what he wanted but he loved the college student's companionship and attention to him for the past many days. The loneliness that always overtook him whenever his father left him at home had disappeared after Marth came into his life. Pit didn't want to feel that terrible isolation again.

"How about I tell you another story?" Marth asked, a smile on his face. He knew that the young boy always enjoyed listening to a story and hoped that this would take his mind off of his troubles. Pit's face perked up at that, nodding excitedly. He fell back onto the ground, his head resting in his hands as he looked at the college student eagerly. He already knew what kind of story he wanted to listen to.

"Can you tell me about your friends?" his eyes shone brightly at the question. Marth blinked once in surprise before composing himself with a smile. It made sense that Pit would be curious about his friends after he mentioned them. He crossed his legs as he leaned against the couch. The college student looked up at the ceiling in thought, his younger companion waiting for his answer patiently.

"Hmm…my friends…let's see…well, my first friend was Roy Pherae. We met in kindergarten where he was a new student. I was a bit different from the other students and I didn't like to interact with the other kids. Roy was the one who approached me because he wanted to know if this was my natural hair color," Marth rubbed a lock of his hair between thumb and forefinger. "And that's how we became friends."

"Isn't it rude to ask about those kinds of things though?" Pit wondered, his eyes wide.

"We were just kids then, so it was excusable."

"Oh…what's Roy like?"

"Hmm…Roy's a bit taller than me and has red, messy hair…" Marth paused, wondering what else he could say about Roy to paint Pit a complete picture. He never really thought about describing his friends before. He searched his mind for a proper portrayal that fitted his oldest friend. "And he's a cautious joker."

"Cautious?"

"He jokes around a lot with us but he's also careful to not offend or bully anybody. I think he was bullied when he moved away, so that's why he doesn't like it when we insult somebody with ill-will. He's a good guy."

"Do you have other friends besides Roy?"

"There's Ike Greil and Meta Knight. I met them after Roy moved away for a while. Ike's a lot bigger than me, blue hair, blue eyes, strong chin. He's really strong and doesn't use his head sometimes. When he does though, he could say some pretty meaningful things. Meta…he's the shortest one in our group. Nobody really knows how he looks like because he's always wearing this mask. He's the most responsible and serious one of my friends. And he was always on my case of finding something to do."

"What do you mean, finding something to do?" Pit tilted his head to the side.

Marth exhaled through his nose as he remembered the multiple times when Meta scolded him for not doing anything productive. Meta's lectures never really bothered him though, so that was a good thing. They still didn't bother him as Meta didn't scold him as much now. However it may be because of how Marth spent most of his time here now instead of hanging around the Warpcoin with his friends. He made a mental note to himself to apologize to his friends and tell them about Pit tomorrow.

"I've never really committed myself to doing anything, which can be a huge problem in the 'real world'," Marth explained. "A lot of people end up doing the same thing over and over again for the rest of their life. It's a bit difficult to do something you're passionate about but there are people who have found joy in doing what they end up doing. Apparently Meta wants me to actually find the thing that I would like doing for the rest of my life. He believes that if I can't find anything to be passionate about I wouldn't be able to live a healthy and happy life."

Pit blinked a few times, processing what the college student just said. A few minutes of thinking through Marth's clarification, he smiled brightly at the blunette, "That's really nice of him to worry about you like that." Marth looked at his young companion for a brief moment before returning the smile.

"That's true. I honestly wouldn't have it any other way," as he said that, Marth realized that he really did mean it. Sure, there were times when he wished that Meta would simply leave him to his whimsical lifestyle. For Ike and Roy, they were less adamant about it than Meta but they still attempted at certain points to find something for Marth, giving the blunette a bit more freedom. However Marth fully appreciated his friends' efforts to get him invested in something he would enjoy making a living out of. It showed him that they really did care about him and didn't want to see him waste his precious life away. He really needed to tell them about Pit, let them know that they no longer needed to worry about him.

Pit giggled in response, "Your friends sound really nice, Marth! I kind of want to meet them one day." Marth's smile faltered a bit when he caught Pit's wording. Kind of. Despite Pit's enthusiasm, if he was really given the choice to meet them now, Marth knew without a doubt that the boy would say no. The outside world still terrified the young brunette to no end with its hidden terrors lurking about. Truthfully, Marth still had no idea what was it about the outside that petrified Pit so much. The college student didn't want to ask the young boy directly as his innocent face would undoubtedly cloud with unspeakable terror. And Marth never, ever, not in a million years, would do anything that would hurt Pit so. If it wasn't clear before, Marth became very attached to the younger male very quickly.

Seeing how there was a now a lull in the conversation, Marth took the initiative for something new. "Now it's your turn to tell me a story, Pit."

The brunette straightened up in surprise. "But your stories are so much better, Marth. I don't know any good stories, and if I did, I couldn't tell them as well as you could."

"I'm sure you would do an amazing job. If you're not sure about how to start a story, it's always best to begin with what you know…" Marth crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side in thought. "Why don't we talk about your family? Could you tell me anything about Link or even your brother?"

Pit's eyes shone brightly at Marth's suggestion. "That's right! You've never met my brother before so I can tell you all about him!" The boy sat up in a flurry of excitement. Marth could help but widen his smile at Pit's gusto. Once Pit sat across from his companion, he started, "Big Brother looks almost like me, but he has black hair and red eyes. He doesn't live with us, but he tries to visit often. Whenever he doesn't, Dad says it's because he's busy with his business. But when he does come, it's really fun. He'd bring me gifts, like soap bottles and coloring books." The boy's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "But Big Brother always brings the little boxes that Dad carries around with the white sticks in them for him. Dad never let me touch them though."

"And you shouldn't. Smoking is dangerous to your health," Marth warned. He remembered how he had asked Link to be careful about smoking around Pit as he didn't want the effects of second-hand smoking to affect the boy. Link had reassured Marth that whenever he smoked, he made sure to do it outside. The man also noted to the college student that he didn't even allow his son to go near his cigarettes and had scolded the boy once for touching the box. Although the house sometimes reeked of a smoker's after-smell, Marth knew that Link could do little to prevent that. It was still better than Pit breathing in the toxic fumes.

However, Marth found it interesting that Pit's older brother always seemed to bring Link the cigarettes according to Pit. He would think that the older man could easily buy the same cigarettes from convenient stores and the like. So why should Pit's brother bring Link those cancer sticks? As Marth pondered that question, he almost missed Pit's own question.

"So why does Dad smoke?" Pit asked.

Marth paused, regretting the pickle he just put himself in by stating what every elementary school kid around here got constantly hammered with. He knew he had to be a bit careful in wording what he was going to say in order to make Pit understand. "Well…Link smokes because…it makes him feel good."

"But I thought you said it's bad for your health," Pit frowned.

"It is. But everything can be both good and bad. Like bubbles. You shouldn't drink the soap, right?"

"Yup!"

"Why?"

"Because it makes you sick."

…something about Pit's confidence in his answer made Marth wonder whether Pit actually did drink the soap, but he drove that thought away from his mind for the more pressing matter at hand. At least Pit seemed to have learned from his possible mistake. "But then when you use the soap to make bubbles, it makes you feel good, right?" Marth smiled. Pit nodded enthusiastically in answer. "So it's the same concept."

"Concept?"

"Idea. Same thing."

"…oh…" understanding dawned on Pit's face as he finally worked out the connections. He nodded to himself before saying, "I get it."

"Remember, although it can make you feel good, that doesn't mean that you can smoke, okay?"

"Okay, Marth!" Pit chirped.

"Good," Marth had to smile at the younger male's zeal. He never tired of it as it just looked so…right to see that eagerness on Pit's face. He hoped that nothing could mar its beauty despite how futile it would be to stop any possible damage. However, for now, the blunette could continue to protect that expression from such harm. "So tell me more about your brother."

"Oh, right! I think he's almost as tall as you, Marth. And he has this really cool picture on his back!"

"On his back? What picture is it?" the college student found himself guessing that what Pit spoke of was a tattoo. Although he rarely lumped a bad label on those with inky marks, the fact that Pit's older brother constantly gave Link the cigarettes and had a tattoo on his back didn't sit well with Marth. He started wondering whether Pit's older brother was a good person before dismissing that thought entirely. If the older of the siblings was a "bad" person, then Marth was quite sure that Link would not let him come in a twenty meter radius of his son. Besides, if Pit liked his older brother this much, how bad could he be?

Pit grabbed one of blank sheets of paper spewed about and proceeded to draw quickly. Marth smiled at that. Pit was already a great artist when they first drawing together. After a few lessons from Marth, his art clearly evolved with its minute details. When he was done in a matter of seconds, he held his drawing up for Marth to see. The blunette examined the picture for a brief moment before realizing that Pit's older brother had a set of tattooed wings on his back.

"I wanted the same thing on my back, but he wouldn't let me. He got me this shirt instead," Pit tugged on the garment. Marth had noticed that the shirt Pit wore had white wings on the back. And from what he'd seen of the young boy, that shirt was probably Pit's favorite. His suspicions on Pit's brother lessened when he saw how the mysterious family member actually discouraged Pit from getting a tattoo like his by getting him the next best thing, a shirt with the same marking on the back.

"Your brother sounds like a good person," Marth said truthfully.

Pit nodded vehemently, "He is. Big Brother tells me stories too. But his stories are scarier than yours."

"Are they now?" the college student raised a curious eyebrow at that. He had no idea that Pit's brother also told him stories. However, he remembered that fateful night where Pit told him how his brother warning about people breaking in through the window. Perhaps that was the source of Pit fearing the outside world? His brother telling him about the dangers of the world? It was a possibility coupled with the fact that Link didn't let Pit leave step foot outside the house. If Pit only knew about the outside world through the stories that his brother told him without any real exposure and experience, then it was obvious that the boy would be scared of the place. That didn't sit well with Marth. He looked at Pit seriously, "Are…they the reason why you're scared of going outside?

At the question, Pit sealed his lips. He nodded wordlessly, eyes flickering with memories.

"Do you still believe in his stories, Pit?"

"Well…" the brunette looked at the ground. "After what you told me…I'm not really sure which story is true…"

Ah, that made sense, Marth admitted. He understood that Pit wanted to believe that the outside world wasn't as bad as his brother made it out to be yet he only had what the older sibling told him to rely on. Now that Marth came into the picture with more positive stories, it was only obvious that Pit would begin to question what he should believe. Though it may not necessarily be a bad thing, the blunette knew he should do something to quell the brunette's conflicts. The sooner he did, the quicker he could dispel any unforeseen consequences of his storytelling.

"Listen, Pit…I'm sure that most of your brother's stories are real, but they don't say everything about the world. Just like the soap bubbles and smoking, the outside world can also be good and bad. Sometimes it's bad, and sometimes it's good. Everything is not solely good nor is everything entirely bad. So while you can fear going outside, you should know that it's not impossible and that some things outside have no need to be feared. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand," the smaller male nodded. The college student smiled reassuringly.

"That's good to hear, Pit."

"Um...Marth?" Pit looked at the older male with eyes filled with fear. However, Marth also saw hints of hope in those cerulean hues. "If I wanted to, could I really go outside?"

The college student paused, wondering how he should approach this. After a brief moment of hesitation, he widened his smile and leaned over to embrace the smaller male. Then, on a sudden impulse, he kissed Pit's temple. Pit didn't react much to Marth's lips. Whether that was a good thing or bad, Marth honestly couldn't say. However, he could, and did, say to Pit, "Of course you can. However, if you do, you have to be careful, all right? It's also best if you ask your dad first and go with somebody."

"Okay, Marth. Thank you."

Marth felt the kid's own arms return the hug. Marth smiled to himself before breaking apart from his young friend. "Now why don't we continue drawing? I'm sure you want to finish that picture for your dad. He's going to be home soon."

…

"So you've been at Pit's house this whole time?" Roy asked his old friend curiously. The blunette in question nodded absentmindedly as he stared at the clock tower. Marth fidgeted in his chair, his promise to Pit knocking loudly in his mind. He barely noticed the look exchanged between Roy and Meta. The shorter of the two students leaned over and whispered something to the redhead. Roy nodded in turn of their quiet conversation.

Meta cleared his throat yet Marth still kept his eyes on the clock. "What's the kid like?" Meta asked.

"He's…a good kid," Marth replied.

"Yeah? You like him a lot?" Roy inquired, a slight grin tugging at his mouth.

"I do."

"Enough to forget about your friends?"

At that question Marth started guiltily. Roy was right; after finding out about Pit, he might have spent more time at the boy's house than with his friends, and that was saying something. He shouldn't really have done that, but he simply couldn't help it. Although he cared for his friends, he truly wanted to spend most of his earthly hours with Pit whenever possible. Marth made a gesture of apology. "I'm sorry, guys. It's just that…"

"Forget it. We understand," Roy laughed. "We're just glad you're not wasting your life away staring at the wall in your living room."

"That's true," Meta agreed. "It's nice to see you actually show a lot of interest in something for once."

His friends' sentiments about his recent activity made the blunette smile. His conversation with Pit concerning his friends rang true. He really couldn't have asked for better pals than these guys right here. Speaking of the guys here… "Where's Ike? It's not like him to be running this late," Marth looked around for some familiar sign of the bigger blunette.

A wary look crossed Roy's face as he looked at the empty spot at their table. "Yeah, right? I honestly have no idea. He's actually been pretty late in coming these days."

"Why?"

"We're not really sure," Meta answered. "Whenever we ask, he would just brush it off."

"That's…not like him-."

"Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late," Ike's booming voice interrupted Marth's statement. The three friends at the table exchanged a quick look as the muscular student plopped down in the empty seat. Marth noticed how the blood slightly colored Ike's face along with the clear sweat shining his forehead. Although Ike was breathing deeply to indicate his run, his breath soon slowed to its normal rate. He unbuttoned his collar to let the gentle breeze cool him down. "Hey, you're here for once, Marth," Ike chuckled after seeing his long-lost friend.

"I could say the same to you," Marth smiled. "I heard that you've been late to these meetings."

"Better late than absent," Ike guffawed. "I…just had some stuff to do."

Marth leaned back in his chair, his unwavering eyes still on his bigger friend. Ike couldn't help but squirm under Marth's gaze. His earlier energy seemed to have disappear, replaced by a sense of nervousness. Both Roy and Meta hid a grin at the spectacle. Not a lot of people were able to make Ike squirm like that. However it seemed like Marth's simple gaze was more than enough. "You know, Ike…" said student flinched slightly at Marth's sly tone. "If you were here earlier, you would have known why I'm usually absent. But since I already told my story, why don't you tell us about your new girlfriend you've been spending so much time with?"

Stunned silence befell the group at once. Roy's mouth opened wordlessly while Meta's eyes widened in surprise. For Ike, he sputtered a bit at what Marth just revealed. "How did you know that?" the words were out of his mouth before he could recall them. The blood rushed to Ike's face again, this time not because of a long sprint.

"When did you get a girlfriend?! And how come we didn't know about this? Better yet, how come Marth knows about this?" Roy asked, pointing at said blunette. "He was barely here the past few days!" The three college students looked at their friend. Marth shrugged in response.

"Well…for one thing, Ike looks a bit nicer than usual. He isn't really one to put a priority on appearances."

"Gee, thanks," Ike grimaced. Marth only grinned.

"He could have been at a job interview," Meta pointed out.

The blunette inclined his head in acknowledgment. "True. However, from what you told me, he's been here pretty late the past days. A job interview doesn't require multiple days in a row. So that's out of the question. Also, if it was only a job interview, Ike would have no fear of hiding that fact from his friends. So there was no need of him to brush off your questions.

"It couldn't have been family troubles considering how cheerful he is now and he wouldn't be prepping a presentable appearance. Not to mention, when he first arrived, there was a slightly dazed look in his eyes. She must have been a pretty good kisser, but I don't think she was very shallow as she didn't wear that much lipstick."

"What the hell, Marth?! Have you been spying on me?" Ike asked indignantly. He was absolutely disturbed how his friend, who he hadn't seen for the longest time, suddenly knew everything there was to know about his new relationship. Marth chuckled at his friend's anxiety.

"Calm down, Ike. You just have a bit of lipstick on your mouth. I know there is absolutely no way you would wear lipstick."

In response to that, the muscular student grabbed a convenient napkin to wipe his mouth. Looking at the dirtied cloth, he grimly saw how there was a slight stain of pink there. Roy snickered at Ike's reaction despite the menacing glare the blunette gave the redhead.

Meta shook his head ruefully, "Sometimes I forget how smart you are, Marth." Said friend simply shrugged at that statement. Truthfully, it wasn't at all hard to figure out. He wondered if his other friends had those suspicions but simply didn't have enough evidence to solidly confirm it. He was in luck that Ike's girlfriend decided to wear lipstick today. If she hadn't, he might not have been able to really prove it. Well…other than the fact that there was the slightest hint of perfume hanging over his muscular friend, but Marth decided that he had embarrassed Ike enough. Due to his whimsical nature, people often forgot that Marth was actually pretty intelligent. He didn't flaunt his smarts around like some people, but should the need arise, he would prove to people that he was more than capable of making their heads spin. It usually resulted in chuckles and some newfound respect that quickly melted away once Marth cared less about the world again.

"None of our secrets are safe with Sherlock Marth around," Roy joked. He then turned to his flustered friend, "But damn, Ike. You got a girlfriend? Who is she? And when did this happen?"

At the question, Ike scratched his head as he looked anywhere but at his friends. Since the truth was out now, he might as well let his friends know the whole story. Or, most of the story. "…Her name's Zelda. I bumped into her some weeks back. After some talking and whatnot, we started dating. Simple. I _was_ wondering when I should tell you, but I guess Marth solved that problem for me," the blunette chuckled ruefully. He shook his head at his friend. "Did you really have to ruin that surprise?"

"Yes," Marth sipped his water bottle.

"Figures. So what have you been up to? I think it's only fair to say it again since you already know what I've been doing but I have no idea where you've been."

"I finally know who the bubble blower is," Marth revealed to Ike. "His name's Pit, and I've been spending much of my time at his place." As he spoke, the sapphire orbs flickered over to the clock tower again. The hands suggested that perhaps he had stayed with his friends long enough. Marth found himself hoping that Pit was doing all right by himself. He felt guilt stab at his heart at the thought of Pit dealing with his returning isolation while the college student was having fun with his friends. The guilt quickly converted to fear and anxiety for the brunette's wellbeing. The blunette stood up suddenly, surprising his friends. "Sorry. I have to get going now."

"What? But I just got here!" Ike said, a hurt expression on his face.

Roy chuckled, "Well…if you weren't too busy smooching, maybe you would have gotten here sooner to catch up with Marth." Ike glared at the smaller student.

"Shut up, man," Ike retorted.

"She must have been a great kisser if you got a farewell present from her."

"I said, shut up."

While the two friends continued to batter each other, Meta looked at Marth with some curiosity. "Are you heading over to Pit's so soon?" Marth nodded in reply.

"He's usually at home alone. I promised him that I'll try to come as soon as I can."

"Ah, so it's a date!" Roy gasped a laugh on overhearing his friends' conversation. Marth glanced over to his other friends where he saw Ike trapping Roy in a headlock. Despite his hurry, Marth cracked a quick smile at his friends' antics. He didn't even notice the skirmish Ike and Roy got into while talking with Meta.

"If you want to put it that way, then yes."

"Haha, don't get too attached though, Marth. We'll see you around then," Roy waved his farewell despite the sticky situation he was in. "Oh yeah, and thanks for your help."

"Don't go around spreading any more secrets, all right?" Ike warned with a wide grin. He knuckled Roy's skull, earning a cry of pain.

"Let go of me already, dude!"

"Say uncle."

"Never!"

"I'll keep that in mind," Marth chuckled as he turned to leave.

Marth's friends watched him leave the Warpcoin, his quick legs making him disappear from their vision faster than normal. Meta lifted a curious brow when he saw how rushed Marth seemed to be. Although he was happy that his friend finally found something more productive to occupy his time, he worried whether perhaps Marth was obsessing over Pit a bit more than necessary. As soon as that thought crossed his mind though, Meta dismissed it immediately. No, there was nothing wrong with caring about another person to the point of spending every day at said person's house. After all that's known as…Meta paused his thoughts. He wondered if whatever he was thinking actually applied to Marth. It was possible that that was the truth behind the whole matter. If that was the case, the question then was whether Marth was aware of it himself. It's always easy for an outsider to see it but not the participants. However, it was also possible that Marth simply loved Pit as a younger brother. One thing was certain though…

"Marth himself seems a bit more cheery and talkative, doesn't he?" Meta brought up once said friend was out of earshot. Both Ike and Roy looked at Meta after the blunette finally relinquished his hold on the redhead, their own brows furrowing in remembrance.

"…you're right. He said a lot more here than he usually does on a normal basis," Roy muttered. "Maybe it has something to do with Pit?"

"Probably since he spends so much of his time with the guy. Makes me wonder what they do," Ike mused.

"Marth tells Pit a lot of stories," Roy told his friend. "He's younger than us, apparently."

"He is? Huh…"

"He's changing Marth for the better, that's for sure," Meta sighed in satisfaction.

"And aren't you happy that he is. Now you don't have to scold Marth for doing fucking nothing all the time," Ike smirked.

"Um…Marth isn't here?" asked a curious voice, shyly interrupting the conversation. The three students looked up to see Robin holding his computer bag with his headphones rested comfortably around his neck. The young albino shifted his eyes around the seats, noting how a blue head wasn't there despite his question. Roy shook his head in answer.

"You just missed him," the redhead replied. Robin's shoulders sagged as he let out a disappointed sigh. Roy frowned curiously at the obvious gesture of discontent, "Why? Did you need him for something?"

"Kind of…I needed to give him a message," Robin answered.

This caught all of their attention as it was extremely out of the norm. Who could possibly have wanted to give Marth a message? And through Robin at that? Usually in this age if somebody wanted to talk to another, they would either use the Nintennet or actually meet face-to-face, not through another person. But if it was through another person, it was usually through somebody that the receiver knew well. Marth and his friends barely knew Robin (though, knowing Marth, he was probably hiding his knowledge of the albino). Meta raised an eyebrow at the curious development.

"Why don't you just tell us? We can give it to him."

The gamer was already shaking his head even before the short student finished his suggestion. "I would like to…but Nadir wouldn't let me."

"Who the hell is Nadir?" it was Ike's turn to add his opinion to the conversation. His frown told Robin that he didn't like this shady business at all and that it wasn't a good idea to pull a stunt like this again. The outsider could only shrug apologetically. In all honesty, he didn't really want to go through with this either. However Nadir had been extremely persistent and, judging from his tone when he asked Robin to do this favor, vexed to tell Marth exactly what he thought about the blunette's actions.

"He's my teammate and...Pit's older brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Death of Your Eyes...I just made that name up, but it could work well as a story too...just imagine it as the ugliest painting in the world. Tis still art.
> 
> 2\. Roy's friendship with Marth when they were kids originated with them being the only two with Japanese voice actors in Melee. Him moving away is the common reference of Roy not appearing in Brawl, which is when Marth became friends with Ike and Meta Knight courtesy of Subspace. Roy moving back is the hype train of Smash 4.
> 
> 3\. The closest thing I could get to wings on back are tattooed wings and wings on shirts. Besides, it does fit in with Nadir's character later on. Pit likes wearing that shirt a lot.
> 
> 4\. Just because somebody does stupid things doesn't mean they are stupid. Marth's I.Q. actually rivals Robin's here. Why? Just because.
> 
> 5\. Nintennet, the Nintendo Internet...why are you so stupid, Blade?


	6. Blue and Blue Together

Marth could feel a familiar stare pouring into his bent head. However he ignored it in favor of Pit's request sitting in front of him. They sat on the wooden floor drawing on the leaves of paper scattered around them. Marth had suggested that they give each other something to draw and, when they were done, share their drawings with each other. Pit pleaded to see a drawing of Marth's dwellings. The college student happily accepted on the condition that his companion drew an angel as a reminiscence of the first picture Marth drew for him. Now the boy focused deeply on depicting the heavenly being correctly as his babysitter attempted to accurately map out his apartment.

Despite having an important activity to do, Marth still couldn't shake off the burning stare of Link. When he had arrived for his daily visit, he was surprised to see Link still at home. The father told the blunette that he had an important issue to attend to at home but he would leave for work as soon as he was done with it. At the current moment he contented himself with relaxing in the single armchair of the living room with a laptop at hand. Yet Marth suspected that Link was watching him like a hawk for anything suspicious. Unfortunately for the older man, the college student was going to disappoint in that department. Fortunately for the older man, that meant that he didn't have to worry about that section as much.

"Look, Marth! I finished!" Pit suddenly said with great excitement. He leapt from his position, holding his paper proudly. Marth looked up to see a beautiful portrait of a praying angel. There was no other way to describe it. The angel stood tall supported by multiple silver-lined clouds. An unknown light source pierced through higher clouds in order to bask the heavenly being. With its white wings spread out wide behind it, the angel's face angled upwards as an invisible wind blew its long, green hair back. Its eyes were closed with a small smile, its hands clasped together for a hymn. Marth gazed at it in awe. His eyes drank in every detail that Pit added to his picture, from the ripples of the angel's dress to the indents of the leaves on the angel's laurel. It was difficult to believe that Pit's artistic abilities were able to develop this quickly after a few lessons from the college student. Yet here he was, creating masterpieces right before him. It was truly a sight to behold.

"It's beautiful, Pit," Marth breathed as he continued to admire the drawing. He reached out for it, Pit relinquishing his hold to allow the college student to examine it on closer quarters. He ran his hand over the pencil marks, as if to ensure that the angel truly was still on the page. "You've done extremely well. I never would have been able to draw something like this." Pit's face flushed at the praise. He smiled sheepishly as he rubbed his hands together shyly. His eyes stared at the ground instead of meeting Marth's.

"I couldn't have done it without your help," he whispered modestly. Marth shook his head at his friend's humble statement.

"All I did was point you in a direction. You did the rest yourself, Pit."

The boy giggled slightly from the compliment as he shuffled his feet together. He waited until Marth returned his picture before bouncing over to where his father sat. Marth watched his friend with a small smile and turned back to his own drawing. He felt some disappointment growing inside of him when he realized that his own chicken-scratch would barely compare to Pit's current magnum opus. He didn't think it was right that Pit crafted such an artwork while he was here simply tracing from memory. The blunette wondered whether he should add something to give his own request a little pizazz. He juggled that idea around for a brief moment before deciding against it. No, Pit wanted an accurate portrayal of his apartment and Marth would grant it. Besides he had a feeling that Pit would be grateful for any drawing he did, crude or otherwise, not because he was obligated to but because he genuinely appreciated Marth's efforts. He refocused his attention on his task.

Yet his head swiftly snapped back up to look at Pit when the boy told his father happily, "Look, Dad! It's Mom as an angel!" That statement surprised him as he had absolutely no idea that that angel was actually Pit's mother. He wondered what influenced the boy to make his mother the subject of his art. Considering how Pit never talked about her before, Marth could only surmise that she was no longer in the boy's life as the other possibility of Pit not liking his mother to the point of not even mentioning her was difficult to imagine. Pit's amazing portrait of his mother was proof enough that he still thought about her. Perhaps the boy wasn't comfortable speaking of her? That was probably the case, and Marth didn't mind that at all. He had wondered before why Pit did not tell him about his mother when he asked the boy about his family but knew it was best not to pursue the issue. Even now, only if Pit brought up the green-haired woman would Marth begin to ask the questions about her.

Link looked up when he heard Pit's declaration. He then gazed over his laptop to study the drawing his son displayed. Marth saw the older man jump slightly at it. Link's face paled a bit, earning a look of concern from Pit. "Dad, are you all right?"

The man shook his head as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm fine, Pit. I…just wasn't prepared to see your mother again. You really captured her beauty…" He stared at the portrait again, his eyes taking on the distant look of remembrance. His color had returned to his face. Although traces of worry still showed in Pit's eyes, he smiled happily at his father's compliment.

"Thank you, Dad. Mom was as pretty as an angel, wasn't she?"

"Heh. I don't know about that. She's much more beautiful," Link chuckled. He glanced briefly over at Marth, noting that the college student had resumed his drawing. He had noticed how Marth's attention was perked by Pit's statement for the brief moment that his son revealed the truth of the portrait. Now he occupied himself with his own artwork. Seeing how busy Marth was Link wondered to himself whether it was safe. It was probably best not to do it since he wasn't sure whether wandering eyes would be able to scold him. All it took was one glance to endanger them. However, his mind quieted his instincts to allow him to give into temptation. He hadn't been able to kiss Pit as properly and as freely as he liked with the college student present. Besides Marth was too busy drawing at the current moment. He would probably only look up when Pit came bouncing back to his old spot. And even if he did see, Marth wasn't the type of person to broadcast it. He was more than likely to keep it to himself, so there wasn't any real danger of discovery. As a result of that reasoning and his starving desire, Link reached out to his son. Pit didn't resist when his father drew him closer. Link smiled warmly as he whispered. "And you're nearly the splitting image of your mother."

Before Pit could reply his father planted a kiss on his lips. Though the boy couldn't respond with words, he could answer with his actions. He returned the gesture, tilting his head slightly to the side. The kiss lasted less than what he was used to as Link pulled back a few seconds after the response. Pit looked at his father with confusion but his face cleared when Link shook his head. The older man's eyes shifted to the side slightly. Realizing what his father was insinuating, the boy nodded his understanding. His father then waved him away, saying, "Go ahead and continue drawing, Pit."

"Maybe I'll draw you next, Dad," the boy grinned as he skipped back to his spot. He plopped on the floor, giggling a greeting as Marth welcomed him back with a smile. Link chuckled lightly in response before turning his attention back to his laptop. However before he could even read three words on the required documents, a single knock on the door shattered the brief silence. Both Pit and Marth looked up in curiosity. They watched Link stand up abruptly, all traces of his joking manner vanished. The older man set his laptop on his seat quickly and hurried to the door. The sound of it opening reached the two's ears. After a few seconds of rustling, it closed again and Link walked back into the living with a white plastic bag. It was difficult to gauge what was inside, but the shuffling and rattling sounds of the content gave Marth a decent clue of the content's identity. That was probably the errand Link was talking about earlier that morning. He also quickly learned the identity of their visitor yet not by his own deductions. "Big Brother came by, Dad?" Pit asked, the surprise and disappointment clear in his voice. "Why didn't he come in?"

"Your brother's a bit busier than usual. He only had some seconds to stop by," Link explained. He reached into the bag to pull out a brand new coloring book. "He didn't forget about you though." Pit rapidly jumped up again to spring over like a late rabbit. He smiled brightly as his father handed him the shiny coloring book. He immediately flipped through the pages to scan its material. When he reached the end, Pit gave Link a hug.

"Thank you, Dad!"

Link chuckled as he gently pried Pit away from him, "You should be thanking Nadir, not me."

"Will he be back soon?"

"You know, Son, I'm not really sure. But when he does, be sure to thank him."

"I will. Marth! Marth, look! Big Brother got me another coloring book!" Pit kneeled on the floor, his hands still holding onto the book as he stretched it out for Marth to get a better look. The college student glanced at it to note the cartoonish seal romping with a not-at-all amused cat while a tuxedoed owl watched happily. He didn't recognize the characters but he saw how innocent the book looked, even more so when he saw the blank lines of various animals. Marth smiled at his companion.

"So I see. Are you going to start coloring in it now?"

Pit nodded excitedly. "Yup! Oh! Well…if that's all right with you…" his voice suddenly dropping to a shy whisper. Marth allowed a slight frown of confusion to touch his lips before it cleared away. He realized that perhaps Pit thought that since he was done with the drawing, Marth was going to give him a new request to create. It was obviously clear that his young friend wanted to dive right into the book. Pit had shown Marth his past coloring books, all of them no longer able to be categorized as one. Judging from the books that Pit got more recently, Marth knew that this book would quickly be filled with amazing colors as if it came with the pigments. He smiled.

"Of course, it's all right with me. You go color. I'll finish my drawing for you."

Pit returned the grin with his own innocent one. He plopped the book down and lay in front of it. He reached for the coloring pencils to start his rainbow expedition with the smiling mouse on the front page. Marth watched for a while before going back to his own map. Yet some rapid movement from the corner of Marth's eyes distracted him once again. He looked up to see Link pulling on his familiar brown coat. The plastic bag had disappeared somewhere, but his suspicions about what was inside turned out to be true. Link had one of those cancer sticks hanging from his mouth, a box missing one cigarette peeking from his coat pocket. The older man reached into his other pocket for his lighter. However he simply held it in his hand, not yet lighting the cigarette.

Link noticed Marth's attention on him. He gestured slightly with his free hand. "I need to leave for work now. I'm probably going to be home around midnight, so you should get home after Pit's bedtime. Don't wait for me," he instructed. Marth nodded his understanding, allowing the weight to lift slightly from the father's chest. At the sound of his voice, Pit leapt up once again and ran over to hug his dad farewell.

"Bye, Dad!"

"Good-bye, Pit," Link chuckled as he gently pried the boy from his stomach. He also held up a hand in farewell to Marth, who returned the gesture. Pit stayed in his spot, watching his father step into the foyer. When Link placed his hand on the doorknob, he noticed that Pit still stood there. However, he didn't seem to be paying attention to his father. Rather, he was staring at the door that separated him from the outside world. Link looked at his son inquiringly, wondering why he was behaving like this. Usually, after Pit hugged him good-bye, he would hurry back to doing what he was currently doing. He certainly didn't stay at the corner of the living room entrance to watch his father leave, or rather, the thing that allowed his father to leave. "Pit?"

The boy jumped slightly at the sound of his father's voice. His sapphire eyes met his father's cobalt ones. Link could see the conflict wrestling behind those orbs. He frowned slightly in curiosity at what could possibly be causing that clash inside of Pit at the moment. Whatever it was, he knew that he wasn't going to like it. He opened his mouth to ask when Pit smiled. "Come home safe, Dad."

Link paused before nodding his agreement, "I will." He turned back to the door and opened it. With his back towards Pit, he didn't notice his son's eyes widening slightly. Although he already saw some of the world from his bedroom window, Pit felt that the view through the front door was entirely different. So different that it seemed to draw him out. The boy was about to step forward to feel more of the cold wind that blew inside when it was suddenly cut off by the door's closure. Pit blinked, his eyes still on the door. There was a strange stillness in the air that was familiar at the same time. He wasn't sure how long he stood there for until a gentle touch roused him from his trance. Pit glanced over his shoulder to see his friend sharing a puzzled look.

"Pit? Are you all right?" Marth questioned. Pit hesitated upon hearing the inquiry. He wondered whether he should tell Marth of his growing aspiration to go outside. After hearing all those stories from his dear friend, Pit couldn't help but yearn to experience some of them himself. Some stories sounded too good to be true while other tales would be a blast to see. Even though he knew that some of them were simply just stories, there was plenty others that were true to real life.

His dad probably wouldn't be happy that he was thinking about this. He had asked Link a long time ago if he could go outside. His dad was quick to refuse that request, warning Pit of the many hazards the boy was bound to encounter. Upon hearing the gruesome details about what happened to careless people stumbling outside Pit swiftly changed his mind and vowed to stay inside, an action that his dad was more than willing to support. That small memory along with the thoughts of his brother's cautions was enough to stop Pit in his tracks. He wanted to believe that everything Marth said was true, that the world wasn't entirely evil, that he could tell Marth how he wanted to go outside for a brief moment. However childhood fear stole across his mind and paralyzed him from saying it. Pit wasn't ready to face the outside world. Nor was he ready to tell anybody about his yearnings. He would have to continue keeping that a secret until he could gather the courage to ask his father.

"I'm fine," Pit smiled at Marth. The blunette stared intently at the brunette, his eyes searching for any possible signs of duplicity. He saw the slightest hint of it and his mind worked to see how he could fix it. His own face didn't give away his rapid thinking though. Marth simply nodded in response.

"That's good. Why don't we go back into the living room? I'm done with my picture."

"You are? Yay!" Pit cheered. He returned to their usual spot without further encouragement. Pit's enthusiasm caused Marth to chuckle lightly. The boy's happy energy never failed to transfer itself into others and create a lighter mood. The college student followed after his young friend, taking note that he had sat on ground where he initially lay. His arms resting on his knees held his head up for his attention to fixate on Marth. Marth sat cross-legged on the floor as well with his picture in hand. He placed it on the floor between them to allow Pit a moment of examination. The boy gladly took that moment, eagerly searching the paper. His eyes sparkled at the detail that Marth put into his drawing. He felt that if he closed his eyes now he could imagine himself standing right in the middle of Marth's apartment.

The college student practically recreated his apartment's blueprints. The entrance led to a living room filled with similar furniture as Pit's own living room. It combined with a small kitchenette before leading away to three separate rooms. One was the bathroom, Pit recognized. The other two were bedrooms. However the boy had difficulty pinpointing which room was actually Marth's. They held the same amount of furniture with minimal decoration. It was only until Pit scrutinized the map did he see the tiny bits of game counsels and knickknacks that signaled signs of human life in that particular room.

"I'm sorry that it's not as well done as yours," Marth apologized, causing Pit to look up in shock. "But I hope you like it all the same."

"I do!" Pit was quick to express Marth his gratitude. "It's better than I could imagine!" The boy held up the drawing towards his friend, "Tell me about it! Tell me about it!"

Marth could only laugh at Pit's eagerness to learn. When Pit had quickly expressed his appreciation, Marth felt a small weight leave his shoulders. He was glad that the boy liked his drawing. Granted he wished he could do more, but at least Pit still liked it. The blunette took the drawing from Pit and placed it on the ground. He pointed to the room that Pit had guessed was Marth's. "This is my room here. It's comfortable and big enough for a person. And over here is an extra room for anybody who wants to stay with me for some days. Sometimes one of my friends or a visiting relative would stay in that room."

"You live alone, Marth?" Pit asked. Marth nodded.

"Yes. I moved out of my parents' house a year or so ago. My friends helped me find this apartment, which was reasonably priced. It's nice and comfortable. I couldn't ask for anything better."

Pit's eyes widened. "Why did you move out? Didn't you love your parents?"

Marth resisted the temptation to raise an eyebrow at the second question. If anybody else had said that, Marth would have dismissed them as rude. However he knew that Pit meant no offense when he asked that. It was natural, for the boy, to believe that if you loved somebody, you would want to be with them forever. You would want to guide them and help them along in order to make their life the best it could be. That was true. After all Marth had told Pit a great deal of stories of how people who loved each other attempted to stay with their significant other forever. Yet this was obviously a different situation as it pertained to families, not lovers. Marth wondered how he would explain this so that Pit would understand.

"Of course I love my parents," Marth said patiently. "However…when people grow up, people usually leave their families to pursue their dreams or even create their own families. That doesn't mean that they stop loving their families. They…are just creating a new life for themselves. And one of the best ways to do that is to move out of your parents' house. It shows independence."

"Independence?"

"That you can stand on your own two feet, that you are able to take care of yourself," Marth quickly explained. He tilted his head to the side in thought. "Besides, your brother doesn't live with you, does he? But he still clearly loves you."

"Oh! I never really thought about that!" Pit crossed his arms, his eyes gazing at the ceiling above. "I guess he's showing that he can take care of himself…"

"That could be the case. There are many reasons why somebody would want to live somewhere else, but I'm sure that him not loving you or your father is not the cause of his separation."

"Okay." The boy switched his attention from the ceiling back to the drawing. He paused as a thought struck him. He looked back up at Marth. The college student immediately frowned at the clear terror in Pit's eyes. Marth was tempted to reach over and give Pit a reassuring hug, but he had no idea what caused the sudden distress for the boy. Though he knew that Pit would voice his anxiety soon, Marth's heart pulsed faster than the passing time. "Do…do I have to move out? I don't want to leave Dad," Pit finally whispered in a small voice.

Marth almost let out a sigh of relief that it wasn't anything major and he could easily dispel that fear. He gently pulled Pit towards him into an embrace, the brunette following him willingly. He patted the boy's head gently as he comforted him, "No, Pit. You don't have to move out if you don't want to. Some people still live with their parents, and that is perfectly fine. There is nothing wrong with that."

"Oh, okay." Marth could hear the relief in Pit's voice. He smiled to himself at his success in reassuring Pit. However, his mind buzzed slightly at Pit's last statement. It reminded him of some suspicions he had concerning the father and son. Initially, he didn't really care about what was going on. He didn't care that Link seemed closer to Pit than the usual father-son relationship. He didn't care how Link and Pit seemed to love each other to the point of exchanging socially-inappropriate kisses with each other at night. And he most certainly didn't care how Pit actually seemed to respond to Link's action rather positively.

Yet now…Although he had told himself not to mind it too much as it wasn't in his nature to really concern himself with others' secrets, for some reason the situation at present didn't sit well with him. Despite what Link wanted to believe, Marth had indeed caught him red-handed. His calm eyes had been watching underneath his bangs, effectively making Link feel safe. When he saw the father advance, he almost scratched a huge mark on his drawing. Thankfully he had controlled himself in time. Marth wondered why he would react in such a manner after that. He didn't really care about Link and Pit's openly affections to each other, honest. So why was it now that he felt uncomfortable seeing them kissing? He was perfectly fine with it when Link undoubtedly gave those good-night kisses on the lips, wasn't he? Now though…the mere thought of those kisses also bothered him. It was like an itch he couldn't reach, an itch he couldn't scratch away. He didn't know exactly why this was so, and he wasn't sure whether the fact that he didn't know the cause of his irritation was more bothersome than his ignorance of the cause. Either way, Marth knew that he had to keep his conflict a secret lest he actually wanted to leave Pit, something that he wouldn't dare to fathom.

"You love your father very much, don't you, Pit?" Marth questioned. He felt Pit's head move in a nod. The college student paused in thought. After spending many weeks here constantly in Pit's company, he was curious as to how Pit saw him. Did the boy see him as an older brother? A second father or even possibly a substitute mother? Once the question popped into his mind, Marth had to know. It couldn't hurt to see Pit's views. He opened his mouth to ask. Yet the words that stumbled out weren't "What about me? Am I like an older brother to you?" which was what he thought he was aiming for.

No. The words that Marth unconsciously chose were, "And…do you love me, Pit?"

Pit leaned away in surprise, his eyes wide with shock. Seeing the boy react like that caused Marth's heart to sink. He didn't expect that reaction at all. Nor did he expect Pit's answer:

"Of course I love you, Marth! I don't know why I wouldn't!"

Despite himself, Marth couldn't help but raise his eyebrow in surprise. The way the boy said it the college student knew wasn't in the same context as what he meant. Yet at the same time, it did seem like Pit knew what he was talking about. Marth really did wanted to believe that Pit shared the same feelings. He was tempted to pursue the matter further. He curbed his tongue though when the fleeting thought of "how would Link react?" passed his mind. Besides, if he continued this route, he just might break their valued relationship.

"Did you not know that?" Pit asked, tilting his head to the side. Shit. Pit was continuing the topic. It caught the college student off-guard and he tried to recover.

"N-no. I had a feeling though…"

"Oh," Pit giggled. "Maybe it's because you don't let me show you." That caught Marth's attention, if he hadn't paid all of it to Pit already. He had a sneaky suspicion he knew what Pit was insinuating. He never forgot about his first accidental kiss, no matter how hard he tried. Actually, he didn't try to forget it at all. Why should he, when he realized that he liked how it felt? He did wanted to experience it again. Yet he had convinced himself that it was a good night kiss. Nothing more, nothing less. There were no other feelings other than good will and reassurance put into it.

"…what do you mean?" Marth finally responded after his mind raced for answers.

"Does that mean I can show you how much I love you?" the boy asked. If those words were said by anybody else, Marth would have known immediately that they were flirting with him and probably trying to get into his pants. However Pit's manner was anything but coquettish. He looked eager, yes, but it was the same childish enthusiasm that he displayed whenever Marth told him a story or they did their favorite activities together. It couldn't hurt to say yes…could it?

"…I suppose it's fine," the blunette muttered. The joy that sparkled in Pit's eyes really turned them into sapphires. He then rose to his knees to level himself with Marth. He reached out to Marth and gently held his chin and cheeks. For his part Marth felt relieved that he didn't have the urge to flinch. Yet he could still hear his heart pounding the blood in his ears as Pit tantalizingly leaned in. The boy softly pulled Marth's face closer to his until their lips met. Immediately Marth's face burned from the contact, his heart almost threatening to pulse itself to death. He couldn't feel his muscles at all so even if he wanted to pull out, he lost the capacity to do so. Yet he did feel the softness of Pit's lips, a memory that had stayed with him since his first kiss.

He saw Pit close his eyes as the boy tilted his head to the side. Marth himself was tempted to mimic the action and actually pull his friend closer to deepen their contact. He managed to resist one temptation but not the other. After a few silent moments, Pit finally drifted away as softly as he had entered. When he opened his eyes, he managed to catch Marth opening his own. The boy smiled brightly.

"See? I love you that much!" he said cheerfully. He saw red-faced Marth nod silently. His companion's silence caused his smile to fade slightly. "Are you all right?"

Pit's worried tone snapped Marth out of his daze. The college student smiled weakly. He was grateful that they were sitting down. If they weren't, he probably would have fallen over right now. His legs wouldn't have been able to support him with his giddiness at the current moment. "I-I'm fine," he replied, a little breathless. When Pit's smile restored, Marth asked, "Do you kiss everybody you love?"

The boy shook his head, "No, only with Dad. For some reason he doesn't let me kiss Big Brother. I wished he did though…" Pit muttered. "Then maybe Big Brother wouldn't scowl as much!"

Marth wanted to laugh at that. For some reason it sounded funny to him as he pictured the childish Pit kissing a stern shadow who attempted to push his younger brother away. Yet at the same time, for another reason, he wished that Pit didn't want to do something like that, even if it was simply to express brotherly love. Even now, when he thought back to Link kissing Pit, he felt a small pang of jealousy. Pit's voice quickly snapped him out of his thoughts.

"You love me too, right, Marth?" he asked, his eyes full of hope. Marth returned his look.

He said without hesitation, "Of course I love you too, Pit." That widened Pit's smile as the boy suddenly leapt forward to hug Marth tightly. The college student affectionately returned the favor with his own warm embrace. He could hear Pit giggling, which also encouraged his own resounding laughter. The thought of Pit misunderstanding him had occurred to him as it seemed more likely that Pit loved him more in the brotherly sense than the romantic sense. That did subtly dampen his mood quite more than he would have liked but Marth swiftly covered it with his reassurance that his relationship with the boy was now more than a friendly sense if that wasn't apparent before. He won't be as happy but it was clear that Pit was extremely joyful with this development and that was all that really mattered. Another thought occurred to him, one that required some concern. "Pit…it's best not to tell Link about this, all right?"

Pit leaned back to look at the blunette in curiosity. However Marth could see the understanding in the boy's eyes. Pit nodded in confirmation, "I understand, Marth. I won't tell Dad…" Pit paused. Again, he wondered whether he should tell Marth about his growing temptation of stepping outside. He had no doubt that Marth was more than willing to help him take his first step outside. He very nearly told him yet he stopped himself just in time once again. No, he wasn't ready to face that yet. Maybe a few more days, but not yet.

"Is something wrong, Pit?" Marth asked. He saw how the boy had drawn breath to say something before deciding against it. The boy quickly shook his head in answer.

"Everything's fi-." Pit's stomach interrupted with a growl, causing the boy to blush in embarrassment. Marth blinked once before laughing at the unexpected intrusion of hunger.

"It is nearly lunchtime. Why don't we go find something to eat and then we can do something else together?"

Pit nodded excitedly at that suggestion. They both stood up and walked into the kitchen. As Marth worked to prepare lunch with Pit's help, he was able to keep a light-hearted and entertaining conversation with Pit. However his mind worked behind the scenes in secret to store away everything he discovered. He learned a bit about Pit's mother, namely her appearance if she was an angel. What he saw of Link and Pit today wasn't very jarring as he had thoughts about it before but it was still surprising to see it actually happen. Marth had wished that perhaps he would be able to meet Pit's older brother, or Nadir as he now knew him. Come to think of it…was this Nadir the same person who's friends with Robin? Marth made a mental note to check on that. Other than that, it seemed like the brother was a good person, despite the obvious drug dealings that swiftly took place in front of the house.

The best part of the day though, Marth had to admit, was his own growing affections for the boy and the resulting kiss that came out of it. Actually he had been unconsciously aware of that possibility after their first meeting. He would have been surprised if he didn't start developing feelings for Pit as he now spent nearly every day at his house. Yet it was only until now that they fully established and he recognized them. He always looked out for Pit and made sure that the boy was happy and comfortable every minute of their time. So it was only a matter of time before he admitted to himself that he loved Pit more than a friend, more than a brother. Yes, he was a bit hurt that Pit believed this relationship to be a brotherly one. Nevertheless Pit reciprocated similar feelings with actions that were more associated between intimate spouses than close brothers. And although the college student wished Pit realized that their relationship was not a regular sibling one, Marth had to be satisfied with this result, if not slightly. Not because he could take advantage of it. Anybody else would probably like this situation as it was easy to get anything they want out of Pit if he trusted them like how he trusted Marth. No, not because of the advantage but because it made Pit happy. As long as Pit was happy, Marth was happy.

Yet despite everything he learned today…Marth was absolutely certain that Pit was still hiding secrets, dark ones. He was well aware of the dangers of judging something solely by its cover. Pit already proved that he knew some things Marth wouldn't expect him to know considering the knowledge he initially lacked before Marth's influence. The kiss Pit gave him was something Marth expected from a person who was experienced in those ways. Even when he had asked Pit not to tell Link, Pit gave him the confident look of somebody used to keeping such sneaky actions between him and another. He didn't want to believe that an innocent and sweet kid such as Pit could have any dangerous mysteries to solve, but everything he saw so far pointed to that. Marth could only hope that if things were for the better good he would never discover those shady enigmas. He still had a sinking feeling in his heart that he would learn of those dark secrets one day, and that they would be one of the many things that could potentially destroy his bond with Pit. For now though…Marth could afford to share another kiss with Pit without such worries to hinder him. And the boy responded enthusiastically to his action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The woman of Pit's drawing is obviously Lady Palutena. Who else could be his mother? Bayonetta?! Haha! Ha...ha...that would have been scary as fuck...
> 
> 2\. Shout outs to the new Pokémon Sun and Moon. Hype hype! Gotta git meself that Bayonetta wit that awesome H2O starter. I don't know why people don't really like Popplio...that circus seal is awesome as heck. Hope the last evolutions would look cool as well.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter...oh hon hon hon...need to bleach my eyes and saw off my hands after this...so you guys better have enjoyed this! See you guys next time.


	7. Ike and Zelda

Ike scratched his head, still wondering whether this was a good idea or not. He suddenly found some strange fascination with the lamppost to his side as he stared at it intently. It was a much better sight to examine than the slight frown that touched his girlfriend's face. Yet her voice forced his attention back to her:

"Ike, it's not that hard to introduce me to your friends. Besides, I won't judge." The second statement made the young man's eyebrow arch at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Zelda giggled at the offended tone Ike used. She placed her hand on his arm reassuringly. "I'm only teasing. I'm sure your friends are wonderful. Now let me meet them."

"That's not my main concern," he muttered under his breath. He shook his head before gesturing with both of his hands. "Look, are you sure you want to meet my friends? I…can always introduce them to you another time! And we could go ahead to the park today before getting drinks!"

"Ike," his girlfriend started patiently, "Please. I really want to meet your friends. You've already met mine. It's time for me to meet yours. Besides, this isn't going to be as bad when we meet each other's parents, wouldn't you agree?"

The young man drew breath to protest further but exhaled through his nose in resignation. She had a good point there, Ike had to admit. Meeting friends was most definitely better than meeting the family. For one, friends don't have to be permanent while there was no choice in the family matter. Two, friends tend to be a bit more understanding than critical family. Besides he knew that he was simply avoiding the inevitable. In the short but sweet time that they've been together, Ike quickly learned how stubborn his girlfriend could be. Wind could be mixed with rain and snow howling in front of her face. Yet if Zelda still wanted to go swimming in the ocean, she would simply put on her bathing suit and just do it. There was really no stopping her when she put her mind on something. In fact her persistence was one of the key components that brought them together. If she never insisted to help Ike out, they may have passed each other today on campus without a second thought other than "oh, I've seen that person before."

Ike smiled wearily, "Fine. I might as well introduce you to my friends now so that you won't pester me about it in the future." Zelda teasingly stuck out her tongue in response before wrapping her arm around his.

"Thank you."

With that discussion finally brought to a close, the couple made their way to a certain Warpcoin. Despite their harmonious walking only the sharpest eye could see that the young man was leading his girlfriend to their intended destination. The coffee shop was a bit of a distance away, yet Ike and Zelda's trek through campus did not seem very long as they happily conversed with each other. At one point a few strangers gave them a weird look when they burst out laughing in unison at Zelda's joke. Eventually Ike unconsciously recognized the familiar surroundings that he always had to pass to meet up with his friends. His navy eyes scanned the usual spot, shining with relief when he saw some familiar heads. Meta and Roy were talking to each other while Marth, for once, wasn't looking out into space. The missing member of their group then steered his girlfriend towards them. Although Ike couldn't see it, Zelda's eyes immediately drank in every detail of the small group for a final picture before her mental image of her boyfriend's companions could possibly be shattered by reality. She felt Ike's body rumble and knew what was going to transpire, a ready smile on her face.

"Hey, guys!" Ike called loudly as he waved to also get his friends' attention. He was not at all surprised that only two of them looked towards the familiar voice. The third student kept his head bent over the table, a bit focused on something. When Roy caught sight of Zelda, he pursed his lips for a wolf whistle. Before he could sound the first note he felt a searing pain in his calf. The redhead gasped at the sudden agony and leaned on the table to rub it away.

"Hello, Ike," Meta said calmly. He ignored Roy's pointed look as he kept his attention focused on the new arrivals. Soon Ike and Zelda stood at the empty edge of the table. Now that she was closer, she was able to make out new details that she couldn't see from the distance. She saw nothing new that changed her initial mental image. There was Roy's straightening up that didn't go unnoticed by the beautiful brunette. She managed to hide her smile at the reason she thought of for the young man's movement. She refocused to look at the whole group just in time to see a welcoming sparkle from Meta's citrine eyes. "I assume this is Zelda?"

The young woman smiled at the shorter student. "It's good to see that Ike at least mentioned my name to his friends."

"Actuall-." Roy started before he felt another swift kick to his calf, this time the other one. Which was weird because he knew that Meta's legs weren't long enough to kick his right leg with that much power. That could only mean that it was Marth who kicked him silent as Ike and Zelda haven't taken a seat yet. Roy looked at his old friend accusingly. Although he still concentrated on his task, Marth made it way too obvious that he knew that Roy knew that he was the offender with that small smile on his face.

"Yes, he did," the blunette nodded. His eyes glanced up a bit with a friendly smile to the newcomers before turning his attention back to his little project. Curiosity taking her, Zelda peeked at what the young man could possibly be doing that required so much interest. She saw him fiddling with white and blue pipe cleaners in order to twist them into different shapes. She noticed that in common all the twisted pipe cleaners consisted of a stick for grip along with a unique-shaped hole at one end. Zelda managed to guess at once what the quiet student was making before Ike drew her attention with a nervous laugh.

"Well…Marth spoiled the surprise before I could really say anything," Ike admitted. "I had no choice in that matter." His laughter dropped slightly when Zelda turned to look at him with slight disapproval.

"So you never planned to tell your friends about me?" she said in mock admonishment. Ike quickly waved his hands in front of him.

"No, of course I planned to tell! I just couldn't find the right time to do so. Marth gave me the opportunity to finally tell them about you. Isn't that right, Marth?" He turned to his friend with hopes that the blunette would cover for him. The young man just nodded, not wanting to break his concentration from his art. Zelda giggled at how flustered her boyfriend was from her simple teasing. Despite her gentle insult though, she appreciated how honest Ike was being. He could have simply let his friends cover his screw-up for him yet he chose to tell her the truth behind it. Her attention was drawn away once again when the shortest student stood up with a gloved hand stretched towards her.

"Since Ike doesn't seem to be introducing us anytime soon, I'll go ahead and take that honor. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Zelda. My name is Meta," the masked student said. He gestured to his other two friends with his free hand. "This is Roy, and you already know his name is Marth."

"Hey, beau-Zelda," Roy quickly revised as he chuckled nervously. He saw the approving twinkle from the corner of Marth's eye and knew he was safe from any more kicks to the shin…for the time being. Said blunette nodded at Meta's introduction. Unbeknownst to them, Zelda's sharp eyes already caught those actions and it amused her so. She appreciated what they were doing, but she wouldn't have minded if they let Roy speak his mind.

"The pleasure's all mine," Zelda replied smoothly as she took Meta's hand in hers. She shook his hand firmly before releasing it.

"Would you like any coffee or anything?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine as is."

Meta nodded before gesturing behind her, prompting her to look. During his friends' introduction, Ike had stolen two chairs from an unoccupied table. Zelda smiled in response to her boyfriend's kind gesture of pulling one of the chairs out for her to sit. Once he was sure that Zelda was comfortable, Ike sat in his own chair. He pointed to the pipe cleaners in front of Marth. "So what are those for?"

"I'm making something."

Ike opened his mouth to ask exactly what was it he was making when Zelda leaned over to whisper, "Bubble wands." A flash of comprehension crossed the blunette's face. He nodded in thanks before looking back at his friends.

"Bubble wands," Marth finally elaborated after a pause. He obviously did not see the interaction that took place between the couple. The tip of his tongue stuck out slightly as he attempted to twist the pipe cleaners evenly. If he noticed the burning stares his friends were giving him, he didn't show it. It was on the tip of Zelda's tongue to ask the others whether the young man on her left was always this distracted and isolated. Yet she knew how rude it was to ask so she tried to still her natural curiosity. Thankfully it seemed like Roy was used to people questioning Marth's behavior and he guessed what was on her mind.

"He does things his own pace," Roy explained. "Anyways, how did you two meet?"

At the question that prompted an embarrassing memory, Ike couldn't help but guffaw loudly while scratching his head sheepishly. Truthfully he wished that Roy didn't think to ask that question. Yet it was a good conversation starter and he still needed to tell his friends of his meeting with his girlfriend. This seemed like a good time as any. Zelda also allowed herself a small chuckle before answering the redhead's question:

"Oh, it was something like you would see out of a movie or TV show. I was driving along the road when Ike suddenly ran in front of me. I almost knocked him over with my scooter, but he managed to withstand the impact."

"She crashed into you?" Roy's eyes widened in surprise. Meta raised an eyebrow at that, and even Marth had to look up to study Ike with a critical eye. The young man in question shrugged indifferently.

"To be fair, I wasn't looking."

"I should have expected as much," Meta muttered under his breath. Ike raised an eyebrow at the undertone, but fortunately for the shorter student, his friend didn't quite make out all the words. The masked student shook his head at his friend. "Were you injured in any way?"

"I got a couple of bruises but nothing life-threatening. If anything I was more worried about Zelda since her scooter jumped almost three feet in the air."

"So when Zelda crashed into you, you only stumbled backwards while she almost fell over," Marth summarized.

Ike smiled smugly, "These muscles aren't just for show, you know."

"They definitely aren't," Zelda shook her head ruefully. "His muscles did more damage to my vehicle than it to him! After I realized what happened, I tried to apologize for crashing into him. But Ike immediately took the blame as he said that he wasn't looking where he was going and even insisted to pay for the damages on my scooter. He walked me to the mechanic, we talked…and that's how we met," the young woman ended the story. She turned to poke at her boyfriend. "Truthfully, I think he just apologized because of my good looks."

"Hey! I really meant it!" Ike defended. "It was my fault for not looking both ways. You just happened to be gorgeous enough to calm my anger." He ducked a small swing from his girlfriend, chuckling at her mocking irritation.

"Wow…talk about a lucky break, dude!" Roy laughed. "Wish I had your luck."

"Hey, I admit that Zelda was more than worth the bruises, but her scooter still hurt."

"I said I was sorry. Besides, I treated you out to lunch afterwards, didn't I?"

"Yes, yes you did."

"Are you willing to get shattered bones for a girlfriend?" Meta inquired, looking straight at Roy. The redhead stifled his laughter as he shook his head sadly.

"Maybe…truthfully though, no. I'd rather not hurt myself in my quest for a girlfriend."

"Trust me. Not worth the pain." As soon as Ike said that, he felt a weak punch at his arm. He feigned a pained expression at his girlfriend while rubbing the spot where Zelda had hit him. She simply huffed teasingly, crossing her arms in disapproval.

"Trust me, Roy. This idiot here just got lucky."

Both Roy and Meta snickered at Zelda's comment. They didn't stop even when Ike glared at them. However Ike knew his friends meant no harm and were just teasing him as they always did with each other. The laughter stopped as the phone on the table began to vibrate. Without looking up, Marth reached for the phone to see who was calling him. He pressed the pick-up button but didn't bother to hold it up to his ear. Instead he had put it on speaker and placed it back in its original spot.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hey, Marth. How are you doing?" said a familiar voice.

"I'm with my friends," Marth looked up to see the inquiring looks they had. "Say hello, Lucina."

"Geez, did you put me on speaker again?" Lucina groaned. The group of friends could just imagine Marth's cousin rubbing her eyes in frustration. "How lazy can you get? Hey, dudes," she said before Marth could answer her rhetorical question. "What's up?"

"Hello, Lucina."

"Hey."

"Hey, Lu," Roy said cheekily. "Ike's girlfriend's visiting us today."

"Roy!" Ike hissed. His offender only laughed. He was lucky that he was sitting across the blunette, otherwise he would have been subjected to another wrestling match. Before Ike could scold his friend further, Lucina's surprised voice shrieked:

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! When did this happen?"

"A few weeks ago," Zelda answered calmly. "It's nice to meet you, Lucina. My name is Zelda."

"Nice to meet you too. Sorry if I sounded rude before. I didn't expect anybody in my cousin's ring of friends to get a girlfriend. Well…maybe Meta, but I was sure that everybody else were lost causes."

"Gee, thanks," Roy muttered.

"You're welcome. Anyways, Marth? I know you're still there. I'm calling to see if I can stay at your place for a couple of days."

"Sure," Marth said absentmindedly. Zelda noted how he wasn't even looking at the phone as he went back to his arts-and-crafts. Was he even aware of what his cousin had asked of him? It definitely didn't seem like it. However, Lucina continued to talk even though she should have been aware of Marth's usual spacing out.

"Great. I'm going to be at the airport around seven on Friday. Can you pick me up then?"

"Sure."

"…Meta?"

"Don't worry, Lucina. I've got it written down," the shorter student reassured her. He had scribbled the information with the timetable on a sticky note which he folded and tucked away safely. Meta winked at Zelda, letting her know that something like this happened before and things didn't turn out too pretty. The young woman nodded sagely in reply.

"Great. Thanks for your help. I'll hopefully see you guys Friday. Make sure you keep Ike out of the clubs, Zelda," Lucina said in a serious tone. "He can get a little wild."

"I don't do that anymore," Ike replied, irritated that Marth's cousin would even suggest such a thing. After meeting Zelda, he obviously had no purpose in going to his usual clubs other than to get a drink. His eyebrow twitched when Lucina made it apparent that she still had her doubts.

"Just making sure. Anyways, I'll see you guys around. Bye!"

The group of friends chorused their own farewells before Marth's hand searched for his phone. He neatly tucked it away into his pocket before gathering his things. His friends looked at him curiously as the blunette kept silent. Meta looked at the clock tower and recognized the time that they have all became so familiar with by now. He gave his other two friends a quick expression to let them know of the usual development taking place. Once Marth was sure he got everything, bubble wands and pipe cleaners and all, he waved to his friends.

"I'll see you around," he almost repeated the same thing as Lucina. Meta nodded solemnly while Ike and Roy exchanged a knowing look.

"Of course."

"Just don't forget to come tomorrow," Roy grinned.

"Have fun over there," Ike responded.

Though she was curious where Marth was heading, Zelda didn't want to ask that question just yet. It seemed logical that he was heading home yet usually people who were leaving their friends to head on home would tell them. She also felt that it was unusually early for him to be leaving his friends now to go home. Marth barely said anything about his destination but judging from his friends' reactions, it seemed like they already knew where he was heading. She snapped out of her thoughts to quickly give her own farewell, "Good-bye, Marth. It was very nice meeting you."

Marth inclined his head towards Zelda. "The pleasure was mine, Zelda. Hopefully I will see you soon as well." The young woman couldn't help but blink in surprise at that as she didn't expect him to say that much. It didn't seem to be in his nature to talk a lot. However, she readily returned his smile. With another wave, he turned on his heels and hurried away from the Warpcoin café in order to get to Pit's house on time. He wished that he had finished the bubble wands today, but a few were still incomplete. He'd have to finish them another time. Zelda watched him leave, the interest clear on her face. If she was Alice, she probably would have commented to herself "curiouser and curiouser". She instead turned to Ike to ask:

"So where is he going in such a hurry?" Her smile let him know that it was perfectly fine if he chose not to answer her rather nosy question. She had to admit to herself that she was butting into their business a bit more than she should. Her stupid curiosity always ensured that and she remembered how she constantly had to apologize for asking such probing questions. However it seemed like the group didn't really mind. Either that or Marth didn't really care who knew where he was going and his friends knew that. Besides, it seemed like Zelda was already part of their little group so it didn't hurt to share.

"He's heading to a friend's house. He's been doing that a lot lately," Ike explained. Zelda's mouth formed an o of understanding before nodding. Immediately another thought sprang up in her mind. She had noticed the distant look Marth had on his face when he was making his bubble wands. Yet that distant look was something she was familiar with, and she wondered whether that friend was Marth's person of interest. Though tempted to ask that, Zelda hushed herself. She learned enough about Marth for the day. She wasn't going to pry anymore. Now that she got that part of her curiosity satisfied, she moved onto the next piece of information that bothered her from their short conversation with Marth's cousin.

"So…was Lucina joking about the whole clubbing?" Zelda asked. Grinning, Roy quickly shook his head before Ike could think up some excuse to defend himself.

"Actually, no. The last time she visited us, Ike was a bit fond of clubbing. I think because she heard about you she got worried for your relationship. Lucina doesn't really seem to have a sense of humor, so anything she says you usually knows she's being serious about it."

"To be fair, I've stopped, all right?" Ike sighed. "I only go for drinks now."

"So you did use to pick up chicks from the clubs," Zelda teased.

"I did," her boyfriend conceded. "But I don't do that anymore. Not when I already have you."

Zelda attempted to cover her blush with a light punch to Ike's shoulder. "Geez, you're so cheesy, Ike!" He only laughed as he hugged her close to him. He felt a flash of happiness when she leaned into him cheerfully despite what she said.

"Ugh, get a room, you two. Stop making us jealous. Right, Meta?" Roy snickered. The shorter student shrugged indifferently.

"I don't really care."

"Okay, okay. We'll keep it in the bedroom…maybe," Ike smirked. He only laughed as Zelda punched him again while Roy gagged at the suggestion. It was nice to spend time like this with his friends. He initially feared that his girlfriend wouldn't like his friends. However Ike should have known better when he himself met Zelda's friendly group of miscreants. That was another thing they had in common, weird friends. She didn't mind their little antics at all. Now if only Marth could spend a bit more time with them like he used to. Ike noticed that he was spending more and more time with Pit than usual yet Marth also began making an effort to actually go to lectures and all that. He had a suspicious feeling that something had transpired at Pit's house that caused this subtle but important change in his friend. Speaking of Marth…"Hey, did Robin give whatever message he needed to give to Marth yet?" Ike asked his friends.

Meta immediately shook his head in response. "As far as we know, no. Robin's not here at all again today," the masked student said as he pointed to where the gamer usually sat. Both Ike and Zelda looked to see that the corner spot was indeed empty without the snowy-haired student to occupy it with his laptop. Although it didn't mean much to Ike, Zelda gave a small smile. If she was alone at the moment with her laptop, she would have taken that spot in a heartbeat. It was a secret among the computer science students that Robin's usual seat had one of the fastest Wi-Fi connection. She occasionally managed to claim that table for herself in the evening. "He hasn't been here the other days either whenever Marth's around."

"Does Marth know about this?"

"We did tell him, but he didn't seem concern about it," Roy said. "Like how he usually is, you know?" Ike nodded in agreement. He couldn't help but wonder if Robin was actually trying to avoid Marth so that he didn't have to give whatever message his friend wanted him to give to the blunette in question.

"Why doesn't Robin just use an email or something to give Marth the message?" Zelda asked.

"Apparently," Ike heaved an irritated sigh, "his friend wanted him to give it to Marth directly. I don't know why…whatever that guy's name just doesn't say it to Marth's face. I never like it when people take a roundabout way to get what they want."

"What about you? You took a while to ask me out."

"T-That's different."

"Right. Of course it is…Perhaps he's busy and this is his only way of getting to Marth. Speaking of busy…Ike and I were planning to get drinks. Would you like to join us?"

Ike looked at his girlfriend with a questioning look. "How did you get from busy to drinks?" he asked.

"You tried to use the excuse of us being busy getting drinks to not meet with your friends," Zelda reminded. She barely registered his protest as she turned to look at his friends for their answer.

"Sure, why not?" Roy shrugged. Zelda hid a smile at her assumption being correct in that Roy was going to accept her offer. She wasn't really sure about Meta, but she betted that he wasn't going to accept for a logical reason. The young woman wasn't disappointed. The masked student shook his head.

"Sorry, but I'm going to have to decline," he muttered as he stared at the coffee table. Meta took off his mask quickly to rub his eyes. Again, Roy swooped downward to look at Meta's face. And again, the short student replaced his guise before his friend could get a good look. Roy sighed in disappointment at another failure. Guess he just had to try again next time. "I have something I need to do and I can't do it without Roy's help," Meta continued, "so Roy has to decline as well."

"Wait a minute, what?! How come I didn't hear about this before?" Roy asked indignantly as he glared at Meta. The shorter student simply nodded as he grabbed Roy's arm in a tight grip. It annoyed Roy that his friend answered him with a silent nod and iron grip rather than clear words like a normal person. But it also vexed him that Meta was stopping his possible one chance at getting a girlfriend. Sure, maybe those chances were low, but there was still a chance and he felt that this time the chances were a bit higher than before.

"Are you sure about that?" Zelda asked. "We really wouldn't mind, would we, Ike?"

"Of course we don't mind. The more the merrier, right?"

Thank goodness Meta was wearing a mask. If he wasn't, Ike probably would have punched him for the smug smirk that was on his face. He detected the false note of approval from his friend. If Marth was here, Meta was sure that they would be exchanging sagely looks right now. He locked eyes with Zelda and, judging from her subtle expression, knew that she was well aware of what he was doing. It would take Roy a bit longer to get the message. Maybe that was why Lucina thought everybody except for Meta wouldn't be able to get a girlfriend. "We appreciate your offer, but maybe next time. It would be nice to meet your friends as well," Meta hinted.

Zelda nodded. "Of course," she said smoothly. "Next time then. Make sure you bring Marth with you."

"If I could get him away from his friend for about ten minutes, then I'll try," Meta chuckled. "Probably not." He stood up and grabbed his now-cold coffee, prompting his friends to stand up as well. "Let's go, Roy. I'll see you tomorrow." He waved a gloved hand in farewell before dragging an extremely reluctant Roy behind him. Although the redhead struggled for a moment at the beginning, he finally gave up as Meta continued his remorseless grip. Roy followed unwillingly after his friend, his slightly slouching back slouching even more when he heard Ike call out.

"See ya," Ike grinned.

"Good-bye, Meta. Bye, Roy," Zelda added her own bit. Roy held his hand in farewell but didn't turn around. Ike and Zelda stayed for a while to wait for the small figures to disappear from their sight. They watched in slight amusement as Meta finally released his reins on the redhead to allow him to assault him with words. Although the exact words couldn't be made out, the couple had a pretty good idea what Roy and Meta were arguing about.

"You just had to invite them, didn't you?" the muscular student sighed once he couldn't see his friends anymore. His girlfriend giggled in response.

"Of course I had to. It's polite to do so."

"I should consider myself lucky then that Meta was 'polite' enough to stop Roy from third-wheeling our date." Ike turned to walk in the direction of their destination. He waited until Zelda also turned to walk before proceeding with her at his side. His girlfriend slipped her petty hand into his own, prompting him to return the gesture. He was glad that she was the one who initiated the hand-holding. He wasn't sure how he would react if people saw him being the one who wanted to hold hands with his girlfriend first. It shouldn't embarrass him, but for some reason it did. Oh well. He'd be able to come in terms with it soon enough. The sound of Zelda talking snapped Ike out of his thoughts.

"Oh, I wouldn't consider it as third-wheeling."

"It's definitely third-wheeling."

"Well, if anything, you would be the third wheel then since I'm trying to get to know your friends a bit more," the brunette teased.

Ike scowled at her. "You're already trying to cheat on me when we've dated for a while now? I knew I shouldn't have paid for those scooter repairs for you."

"I'm only teasing, Ike. You don't have to take things so seriously," Zelda said as she hugged his arm affectionately.

"I have to be on my guard though. Who knows when you'd be snatched away by some perverted old man?" Ike smirked. From the corner of his eye, he could see his girlfriend rolling her eyes at him.

"I think the only 'perverted old man' here would be you."

"Then this 'perverted old man' has skills if he's able to snag a beauty such as yourself,"

"Oh stop it! You're embarrassing me!" Zelda laughed as she childishly pushed Ike away from it. It really wasn't very effective considering their difference in size and strength. Ike joined in her laughter at her failed attempt to stop him. They then continued to walk in silence to enjoy the warm company that the other naturally brought. Ike had to admit that this day turned out better than he thought. His friends met his girlfriend and she met them. They got along pretty well, and none of them were that embarrassing. Except for Roy, but that was usual. All in all, today was an overall success.

Or so he thought. He couldn't really call it a success until he was sure that Zelda enjoyed it. He wanted to believe that she did, but his past experiences with girls made him hesitate in that assumption. He found that girls usually say one thing while meaning something else either entirely different or completely opposite. And then they expect their boyfriend or male companion to understand what they actually meant. It was very confusing sometimes, and as Ike mentioned before, he never really liked the roundabout way. As a result, he decided that he might as well ask Zelda directly. He knew that she would answer honestly, even if she liked to tease him most of the time. However he wanted to wait for a bit. Not because he was afraid of what the answer might be but because he needed to gather himself for the task.

"…So what did you think of my friends?" Ike finally asked when they were almost close to their destination. Zelda looked at her boyfriend. Although he attempted to remain cool and nonchalant, she could see the slightest hint of nervousness in his eyes. She smiled softly as she tightened her hug around his arm. Zelda teasingly waited a moment for Ike to slightly sweat in anticipation before finally and truthfully giving her answer:

"They were wonderful."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. After a while, I wanted to write from the viewpoint of some of the other characters in this story. So I decided to have a set of special chapters scattered throughout the story. These chapters, rather than being told through Marth, Link, and Pit's view (because I feel that those three are the main characters of this story), would be mainly viewed by the character or characters listed in the chapter title. Though supposedly filler, they are nevertheless important to the story and would also contain some valuable information such as the history of a character. You would obviously be able to tell which chapters would be special (or filler chapters) by their title.
> 
> 2\. The way that Ike and Zelda met is a shout out to how Mako and Asami met in Avatar: Legend of Korra. Admittedly, I liked the original Avatar way better than Korra, but I couldn't just freeze Ike in an iceberg and have Zelda break him out of it. Yeah, no. Impossible in this scenario...
> 
> 3\. Initially I wanted Zelda to be a stoic person. However I didn't think that would blend very well with this Ike. After some debate I decided to keep some of her usual queenly manner but add in some playfulness as well. I guess you could say that this Zelda would be more like the Skyward Sword Zelda than the other Zeldas? I honestly don't know. I played Skyward Sword up to when I fell off and from what I've seen of Zelda there, she's not as uptight as the others...please correct me if I'm wrong.
> 
> 4\. Now you guys know why Robin is always in that same spot every single day. It's because it's got fast Wi-Fi. Yup. And since Zelda knows about it too...well, why do you think Ike stopped referring to Robin as a nerd?
> 
> 5\. Although there wasn't much background information on Ike and Zelda in this chapter, this chapter does have some Farfetch'd hints concerning the other characters. Their close relationship in this chapter is also going to be helpful in something that happens later on...Let's see if you guys could find the extremely stupid and extremely subtle clues I put in here.
> 
> And that's about it! Hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as the others. I'll see you guys around next time.


	8. Red Light Stops

"Oh thank you so much, Marth!" Pit embraced his friend tightly, his hands not once losing his grip on the present that Marth gave him. After his quick hug the boy leaned back to give the college student a kiss. Marth eagerly returned both kiss and hug. He felt his heart fluttering rapidly at the joy Pit's happiness brought to him. After a few seconds of enjoying the soft touch, Marth finally broke the small connection to smile at his friend.

"Do you really like them?"

"I love it! I can't wait to blow bubbles with them!" Pit relinquished his embrace to examine the four bubble blowers and jar of bubble soap Marth made for him. He touched the wands gently, giggling slightly at the fuzzy sensations the pipe cleaners provided. The fluorescent jar contrasted its gift companions with its smooth feeling but it didn't make Pit like it any less. He could just imagine all the bubbles he would be able to blow with these new toys. He giggled again at the thought of it. Not being able to take his impatience anymore, the boy grabbed a hold of Marth's hand. "Come on! Let's go blow bubbles right now before Dad comes home!"

Marth allowed his beloved friend to lead him upstairs to his window. He couldn't stop himself from smiling the whole way, not like he didn't want to express his happiness at the moment. He initially worried that Pit wouldn't like his gift as they seemed too crude (when they could have been easily mistaken as professional work) but his anxiety was ill-founded like it usually was whenever it concerned with Pit's liking to his things. Now that those fears were put to rest, he could enjoy the rest of the afternoon with Pit, something he was more than content to do.

After they more or less confessed their loving feelings for each other, Marth found that they were much closer to and understood each other more. He felt more at home at Pit's house than his own apartment. Sometimes Pit tried to persuade Marth to actually sleepover, but the college student refused each time. Though he wanted to he felt that it would be better if he rejected the offer. That and their new relationship didn't stop him from staying over before leaving at ten or even later as usual.

However the major change was their interactions with each other. While they continued to spend time together doing their usual activities of story-telling, picture-drawing, and bubble-blowing, sometimes Pit would stop to kiss Marth. Other times Marth decided to be the instigator and kiss Pit. It didn't matter who started it but the other male would always eagerly responded. When they didn't kiss, the two friends would also enjoy quiet moments of cuddling. They never went further than that, though Marth had a sneaky suspicion that if he wanted to, they could. He always drove that thought away despite it always relapsing against his wishes. He was glad that he was able to show restraint when it concerned with Pit. Otherwise he was absolutely certain Link would not be happy. Fortunately it didn't seem like Pit's father suspected a thing. Both of them did a good job keeping it a secret.

As they finally settled down in Pit's room to test out the bubble wands, Marth had some quiet time to think to himself. Again he wondered whether it was right for him to continue their relationship like this. It wasn't normal, not by a longshot. Was it even right for him to have feelings for a person younger than himself and a male at that? Truthfully, albeit it was wrong by social standards or even possibly his family's principles, he could care less. He found somebody he loved and was able to be passionate about. Wasn't that a good thing especially since he was practically a zombie before he met Pit?

It would be, if the circumstances surrounding them weren't so complicated. There was that little problem with Link. Although Marth didn't know the details of the relationship between Link and Pit, he had a feeling that it was obviously taboo. If the kisses on the lip that Link gave to his son weren't evidence enough, then the bruises that Marth would sometimes spot around Pit's neck suggested a lot more than meets the eye. The first time he saw them was when they sat together on the couch simply relaxing. He had been petting Pit's head soothingly when he noticed them. When Marth asked, Pit immediately slapped a hand in a futile effort to cover the purple markings. He squeaked a nervous "nothing!" and stared at Marth with a frightened expression. The college student quickly pulled his beloved in a reassuring hug, cooing comfort words to him. He managed to calm Pit down that time but a few consecutive days after that incident, the boy began wearing turtle-necks. Marth didn't comment much on the change in attire other than how he thought it looked good on Pit. He knew that Link played a part in this change. The bruises must have healed once Pit reverted back to his usual clothes.

He honestly didn't want to believe what he was suspecting. All the evidence so far seemed to point that way, yet all Marth could really do is wonder about the true relationship between the father and son. Wondering somehow gave the hope that the thought might not be true. That everything he imagined was too outrageous to be true. There was possibly no way, right? That Link and Pit were-.

"Marth?"

Pit's voice suddenly snapped the college student out of his thoughts. He looked to his side where Pit stared at him with worry. He had the white, star-shaped bubble wand in his hand while Marth currently held the blue, diamond-shaped wand. They stood near Pit's window to follow the rules of no soap inside the house. The colors of the setting sun let Marth know to keep the eye on the clock to be ready for dinner. Pit tilted his head to the side.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Marth replied with a smile. "I'm just thinking about some things…"

"Oh. I'm thinking about some things too!"

"Really? So what are you thinking about?"

Pit giggled nervously, "Is it okay if I just keep it to myself?"

Marth sensed the hesitation in Pit's voice and quickly comforted him, "Of course. You don't have to share." He smiled at Pit's relief. Although he wanted to know what was obviously bothering his friend, if Pit didn't want to talk about it then Marth wouldn't push him. The boy turned his head back to the window to continue blowing his bubbles. To anybody outside, those fluorescent orbs might be the only signs that Pit even existed. Marth found himself staring at Pit intently, thinking how fortunate he was to have met the boy on a whim of changing his routine. Although he had fallen back into the realm of repeating a humdrum, this routine of his was much more enjoyable than his previous ones. He didn't realize that he stared at Pit too long until the boy looked over with a surprised look.

"Are you sure you're all right, Marth?"

"O-oh, I'm sure." For some reason, Marth felt embarrassed that Pit caught him staring. However the brunette didn't seem to mind as he giggled slightly before giving him a light peck.

"Okay then. If you're sure."

"Haha, I'm sure," Marth chuckled as he grabbed hold of Pit and pulled him into a hug. Pit shrieked with laughter at the unexpected action. He then felt a familiar feeling near his ribs and his laughter increased. He could barely hear Marth's own laughter as the sensation of being tickled filled him. They struggled against each other playfully before Marth exhaled a breath and held Pit close. "Whew! I'm beat. Why don't we slow down and get dinner ready? How does that sound?"

Pit nodded in agreement. "Okay." After untangling themselves from each other, they headed down the stairs together towards the kitchen. The pair, now used to working together, quickly prepared some choice cuts for dinner. They were almost done with the steaks when the sound of the opening door reached their ears. Marth smiled to himself as Pit immediately left the kitchen to greet his father. Marth could hear the boy chatter excitedly to his father about the gift the college student had given him. Footsteps racing up and down the stairs let the blunette know how Pit rushed to show Link the wands and jar. Marth could also make out the encouraging words Link gave to his son before said brunette pulled his father into the kitchen for dinner. When they sat down as usual, Link tried to persuade Pit to put Marth's gift away. He gave up when Pit refused repeatedly, wanting to keep the present close to him.

Before he took a bite Link gave Marth a puzzling look. The older man opened his mouth to say something before deciding against it. He shook his head with a small smile. Marth supposed that that smile was Link's small way of saying thanks as the father dove right into the steak he made. He turned his attention to his own food, Pit doing the same. For a while, only the clinking of utensils against the plates and the swallowing of the meat were the sounds of the house. It was very peaceful. Just like a normal family.

Pit inhaled deeply, taking in the delicious aroma of the dinner he helped Marth prepare. Two of the most important people in the world to him didn't notice his self-encouragement. Pit gathered his courage with his heart beating a million pulses a second. Sometimes his heart skipped when he faltered at the thought of rejection. The boy tried to drive that negative thought away so he wouldn't lose heart. Once he believed that he was ready, he plunged right in:

"D-dad?" His voice still came out in a stutter.

"Yes, Pit?"

"Can…can I go outside tomorrow?"

Dead silence.

Pit flinched slightly when Link placed his knife and fork down a little more harshly than he intended. The boy found himself wondering why, oh why, today Marth had to decide to make steak for them. His father was scary enough at times without sharp utensils in hand. He didn't need anything else to establish his dominance.

Marth's head also snapped up at Pit's sudden question. Meal forgotten, he calmly watched the scene between father and son unfold before him yet his pulsing heart would have told anybody else otherwise. Every muscle in him tensed in preparation to calm down the possible storm threatening to rise. Yet he also wondered why Pit suddenly decided to ask this. The boy had given no hints of his plan to ask his father that fated question throughout the past few days. Marth paused when he remembered how earlier today Pit said how he was thinking of something. Could this have been it? But what could have convinced him to ask of something that seemed to be established so long ago? Perhaps…perhaps it was Marth's gift that gave him the courage to finally ask? From how tightly Pit was clutching onto his wands and bottle, it seemed like that was the magic feather for him. Yet it was painfully clear from Link's deep frown that he didn't approve of what Pit had just asked him.

"Pit…" Link inhaled deeply to calm down the dreadful sensation rising in his chest. "We've discussed about…this…and we agreed that you can't go outside. It's far too dangerous for you."

"But Dad. If you and Marth go with me, then it wouldn't be so dangerous, right?"

"Marth?!" Link's voice was shriller than he intended as he didn't expect the blunette's name to be uttered. He locked eyes with the college student, who met his gaze steadily. "…did you put him up to this?" the older man asked in a low voice. Marth shook his head calmly.

"I simply told him stories about the outside and that if he wanted to, he could go outside."

"You WHAT?!"

Pit winced from the sheer volume that his father mustered. Present to his chest, he cowered in his seat, hoping futilely that the table might be able to shield him from his father's reddening face. The boy had done enough wrong in the past to understand when his father was ready to blow a fuse. Link narrowed his eyes at Marth, the scarlet anger piercing through Link's normally calm cobalts. To his deep frustration, the college student didn't as much as flinch from his glare. Marth kept his eyes trained on the father. He could tell from Link's tightly clenched jaw how much of an effort it took the man to keep himself calm and collected. Nobody moved for some time as Link worked for shreds of tact. After what seemed like an eternity for Pit, his father finally stood up and pointed to the living room. "We'll talk in there, Marth. Pit, finish your meal," the man said in a tight voice. Without waiting to see the blunette respond, Link stepped bitterly out of the vicinity of Pit's frightened hearing.

Marth stood up and couldn't help but cast a look at his young companion. He saw the fear in Pit's eyes, the boy's face much paler than normal. Despite the bleakness of the whole matter and the sinking feeling in his heart, Marth smiled reassuringly in hopes to calm the boy down. The college student then left Pit to his own regrets. He found Link pacing back and forth when Marth stepped into the room. At the sound of the student's footsteps, the father looked up, the scowl still on his face. He stopped his pacing to cross his arms in vehemence.

"I told you before. Pit isn't allowed outside at all. No excuses, no exceptions."

_Why? Why isn't he allowed outside?_

Instead Marth simply nodded, "Yes. You did."

"Then why did you tell him he could go outside? Why did you tell him stories about the outside? He's getting ideas he shouldn't be getting because you did that."

_Because he deserves to know._

"Is it so wrong to tell him those stories when he could clearly learn from it?"

Link's scowl deepened, if that was even possible. "It is if it's encouraging him that he could step a foot out of this house."

_He should be encouraged to try new things._

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with that."

"There is when Pit is not allowed outside."

Marth felt something boil inside of him. Though the sensation was rare, it was by no means an unfamiliar emotion. He had felt it before, the most recent time being when Ike joked about tagging along with him to see the bubbles. Yet unlike that time the college student managed to keep his slow irritation under wraps at the present moment. It wouldn't aid the situation if he lost his temper now as even Link was being considerate enough to work his own anger under control. Marth inhaled deeply before finally asking the question he wanted to know since day one. He looked at Link dead in the eyes, "Why isn't Pit allowed outside?"

Link had a ready answer, as if he was waiting for that to finally be asked of him. "It's far too dangerous for him."

"Too dangerous?" Marth repeated. He remembered how Pit had told him the exact same thing. Perhaps there was something about Pit that he didn't really know about that merited such iron protection from his father. The blunette pressed on, "Does he have a serious medical condition?"

Link recognized the worry clear in Marth's voice. His brow furrowed at that but didn't really comment on that detail. Instead he shook his head to the inquiry. "No. It's just too dangerous for somebody like him to be out there. He can't survive out there."

"So you are worried that some bad thing would happen to him…like somebody kidnapping him." That wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"…that and worse," Link admitted. At the answer, Marth shook his head disapprovingly.

"Link…your fears aren't sufficient reasons to keep Pit inside forever. You have to let him go outside if you want him to grow…"

"Didn't I tell you? Pit is absolutely not allowed outside. We've already established that it's far too dangerous for him. The only place that Pit could truly be safe is in this house, and there is nothing you can do to convince me otherwise. I've seen enough to know the world's capability of damaging my son. And I won't let anybody hurt him." Link's cobalt eyes looked right into Marth's own cerulean hues, letting him know that his last warning also extended to the college student.

Link's bitter, stubborn tone was doing a number on Marth's patience. That in itself was impressive as Marth had large reserves of serenity considering his lifestyle. In the back of his mind, he wondered how Link was able to draw out so many emotions from him at once. As soon as he had that thought, he immediately knew the answer to it. It wasn't Link, per say. It was the subject of their current topic. It was Pit that was making him act like this. It was Marth's love for the boy that made him wish for the best for Pit. Even if Link was Pit's father and should know what was best for him, Marth couldn't help but feel, no, not even feel, _knew_ that it was the wrong approach entirely. As a result he had to do something to change that.

"It's not healthy for him to always be in here. He needs to go out and interact with different kinds of people. Otherwise, he would continue to have a false view of the outside world and won't be able to grow."

"Pit is perfectly fine here. He doesn't have a need for friends or anything else from the outside world."

"Pit is not fine here. He's not growing at all. He's stuck in the same loop without any way of learning new things. He didn't even know that animals couldn't talk!"

Link raised an eyebrow, "And? How is that a problem?"

Now Marth was seeing the same red Link saw at the beginning of this dispute. "How can you expect him to be on his own in the future when he doesn't even know that simple fact?"

"Pit will never be on his own in the future. I resent you even implying that I would think of leaving my son to be on his own forever."

Marth stared at Link incredulously. Was…was this Link's true intent this whole time? To keep Pit in here forever? To not let anybody else have his son? "And if you die before him? What then? He would undoubtedly be on his own."

"Trust me. That's not going to happen," Link snorted with derision.

"It's most certainly going to happen."

"I won't die before Pit, and if I do…" the man's eyes narrowed. Despite himself, Marth couldn't help the shiver that went down his spine. There was something sinister in that statement that the college student didn't want to venture forth to find out. Yet if he wanted to even attempt to change Link's rules concerning Pit, he knew he had to overcome his unease and stand firm. He stared at the man, daring him to finish his sentence. However Link seemed to have sense the discomfort he initially wanted from the college student and dropped his statement, opting for a glare instead. At the impasse, both stubborn parties let the silence stretch to the maximum discomfort. Each side refused to budge on their ideals and knew they could do little to change the other's mind. Yet one was set on it; the second didn't give a damn.

"…so you're just planning to keep Pit here forever? Until he dies?" Marth finally asked. He didn't even realize that he was holding in his breath until he spoke up.

"Yes," the answer came without hesitation.

Perhaps it really was the response that got to him. Or maybe the tone in which Link said it cut right through Marth. Whatever the cause, that simple phrase made the blunette finally lose his composure. "You can't do that!"

"Yes, I will."

"You can't keep him cooped up inside forever! Nobody deserves to live such a sheltered life, especially not Pit!"

"That sheltered life is what would keep my son safe from the outside world! It is far too dangerous for him and I won't let anything happen to him!"

Marth balled his fists, resisting the urge to punch the man in front of him with some difficulty. He yelled, "You keep saying that! But the world isn't entirely dangerous, Link! There is some good in it! Good that you are refusing to let your son experience just because you can't let him go! You can't keep him here forever! It isn't right!"

"I decide what is right for my son!" Link roared. He stepped forward, towering over Marth. However the younger man rebelliously met his gaze without a shiver. "And staying inside this house is what he is going to do! I have already told you that you cannot let him go outside, yet you still encourage him to do so! If you cannot follow the rules of this house, I would make sure that you never come back again! Even if my son likes you, I won't have you corrupting his mind with such lies that the world would be good to him!"

"I am not corrupting his mind! I'm showing him more possibilities than you've ever taught him! You may think that ignorance is bliss, Link, but it's not. Pit shouldn't be scared of stepping outside! If anything, he should be wishing to leave this stupid house because of how it's been trapping him, preventing him from doing anything! You would have let him go outside, encouraged him even, to do something with his life if you loved him e-!"

Marth felt a violent hand smash into his cheek. Unprepared for that action, the college student stumbled backwards, almost falling. Fortunately he regained his balance and state of mind quickly enough to realize that Link had, in his blind fury, struck the blunette. The stinging of the crimson welt prompted Marth to cover it with his hand. He looked up at the man in utter disbelief. Link's eyes expressed his own shock at what he did, his reddening hand frozen in the air. However the father did not express his regret at hitting Marth, and Link's eyes hardened to glower at the college student. He lowered his arm.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave, Marth," he said through gritted teeth.

Marth needed no further encouragement. He turned on his heel and stormed towards the foyer. He almost couldn't put on his shoes in his rage. Yet as he placed his hand on the doorknob, he hesitated. He looked behind him towards the kitchen. It was painfully obvious to Marth that Pit unquestionably heard every word of their shouting fight, and it disheartened him that Pit had to experience that. The temptation to go back into the kitchen and apologize to the boy almost overtook him before he decided that he could, no, should see Pit one last time. There was no telling whether Link was going to let him come back to visit after this dispute of theirs. Marth actually stepped forward towards the kitchen when Link walked through. The man hardened his eyes in a scowl once again. Upon seeing him, Marth hesitated once more before steeling himself to push forward. If Link wanted to stop him, he could. However Pit would see it and it wouldn't do any good on the father's part. Marth entered the kitchen with no opposition.

Pit started when he saw Marth walking towards him with the painful mark of Link's hit. His eyes widened with anxiety and fear as he placed the wand and jar on the table. Once the blunette was close, the boy held Marth's head gently to examine the injury. "Are you okay, Marth? What happened?" Pit asked, his whole figure trembling.

Marth faltered in thought at what to tell his young companion. After a moment of arguing with himself, he finally smiled reassuringly at Pit, "Nothing happened, Pit. I'll…just be going away for a while. I'll come back when I can, all right?"

"Going away? Why? Does your friend need help again?" Pit couldn't stop his voice from quivering. It tore Marth's heart in two to hear that from him. Those same two pieces of what used to be called a heart almost died when he saw something clear gathering at the corner of the boy's eyes. He knew that Pit knew that that evidently wasn't the case, that something else was making Marth go away for the time being. Yet Marth couldn't bring himself to tell Pit the truth, that this may as well be the last time they saw each other. As a result he didn't want his final image of the boy to be crying.

Marth smiled albeit he couldn't keep the sadness out of his eyes, "Something like that…I'll be back when I can, yes?"

"…" Pit was silent for a moment before he moved closer to Marth. The college student felt the boy's hands pull him closer and knew what Pit wanted. However, unlike the many times they've kissed, Marth didn't let this one go through. He abruptly stepped clear of his companion, earning a look of deep confusion and deep hurt. Marth's sad smile was frozen on his face as he moved away from Pit.

"Good-bye, Pit," he muttered. He closed his ears to Pit's sad cry. The college student avoided gazing at Link's pointed look as he brushed past him. He was glad that the man made no comment at what transpired in front of him. Marth reached the foyer and placed his hand on the doorknob once again. Unlike last time, he didn't hesitate to open the door and step out of the cursed house. The door clicked shut, and Marth was gone.

Link exhaled a pent-up breath as he sat back down in his chair. He stared at the steak Marth had prepared for them, his mind still processing their quarrel. He wasn't sure if he regretted sending the college student away. He wondered if it was the right choice on his part before angrily shaking his head. No, he made the right choice. He was doing all of this for his son, and Marth had no right in saying that he didn't love Pit enough. Thinking back to what the college student said made his blood boil again. Who was he to question Link's affections for his own son?! The absurdity of it all! There was absolutely no way he was going to let that college student go near Pit ever again. He told himself that he had to make sure that Nadir got that update as well.

"…Dad…" squeaked Pit's timid voice, breaking through Link's murky anger. However he wasn't in the mood to talk to his son right now about anything. And he certainly didn't want to hear any more crazy talk about going outside. He kept his eyes on his food because he knew that if he looked up, his heart would waver at Pit's pained expression. And then he would grab Marth's gift to his son and throw them away in a blind fury. If Link did that, Pit would undoubtedly cry, something he didn't want to see at all.

"This discussion is over, Pit. Finish your meal." Link picked up his utensils bitterly to resume his dinner. "I don't want to hear another word about this, understand?" He moved to cut his steak, yet he knew that he had enough rage in him to damage the plate or even the table. Link repressed that urge but the more he looked at his food, the more he thought about the fight and the more fury increased in him. He finally had it as he forced himself to resist the urge to flip their dining room table. The father stood up, almost making his chair topple over. He noticed how Pit had flinched at his violent action, and his heart tore a bit at the sight. "I need some air," he muttered as an answer to his son's frightened curiosity. Link turned away with his hand reaching for his cigarette pack and lighter in his pocket. He quickly stepped out of the house for a much-needed smoke or two.

Pit, for his part, could only nod numbly in response after some unwillingness. He sorrowfully watched his father leave before slowly resuming his lonely meal. He made a mental note to himself to make sure to comfort his father to the best of his abilities after dinner. However the boy wished that Marth would have stayed a bit longer so that he could give him the same comfort. Despite what his common sense told him, Pit hoped against hope that he would be able to see Marth once more.

Marth undeniably shared the same wish as Pit while on his way home. Though he was realistic enough to know the impossibility of the option after what transpired, he couldn't stop himself from hoping that he would be allowed back to visit Pit again. He could scarcely remember how life was back then for him without Pit and the rare moments he did, Marth realized how empty of a life he had been living. It actually made him regret doing some of the whimsical things he did in the past as he saw that if he had been a bit more productive, he might have been able to share more knowledge with Pit than what he had currently. Admittedly though Marth had taught Pit more things than anybody else could, even if he found it to be an inadequate amount. He wanted to show the boy more things and let him experience for himself what it meant to live, not survive.

That was all Pit did in that house, survive. He didn't live. Pit didn't have a life at all.

A vibration snapped Marth out of his thoughts. He reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone. His heart skipped a beat when he saw a familiar name on the screen. No, unfortunately it wasn't Pit's name. It was actually Lucina who was calling. He felt the familiar pangs of regret in his chest, pangs that almost overwhelmed him if he didn't inhale deeply to keep his composure. He quickly clicked the pick-up option and placed his phone next to his ear. "Hello?" it didn't surprise him how his voice choked as he inquired a greeting.

"Marth? Are you all right?" came Lucina's concerned voice.

Unbeknownst to her, her cousin rubbed his eyes. Their relationship was more on the sibling level than a cousin level, so she always seemed to know when something was bothering Marth. Yet this time anybody probably could have seen the college student upset. "I'm…I'm fine. Just a bit tired…" he responded.

"I see…well, are you too tired to pick me up? You did promise me after all."

"Right, right…I almost forgot."

"Almost? You mean you did," teased Lucina. Despite the aches, Marth cracked a small albeit sad smile as if she was able to see his expression.

"I'll be right over, Lu. Just give me some time."

"Of course. I'll be waiting here inside the airport. See you soon."

The beeping sound notified Marth that the call was done. His arm fell loosely to his side as he stared at the sidewalk. Despite his protests his mind went back to the earlier fight and, more importantly, Pit's sorrow. He wondered if there was hope, any hope left, that he would be able to see Pit again. It was difficult to know especially since with Link so furious at him, the answer seemed so obvious. As a result tonight might have been the last time he ever saw his beloved Pit. At least he managed to give his gift to the boy? At least that was something right? A good memory to leave on?

No, that wasn't enough. That wasn't enough at all. Marth had to see Pit again. He just had to. He felt like he would break if he didn't. He wondered-.

Again with the wondering. Didn't he say to himself before that wondering gave a weird hope that something won't come true? Well…in this case, he had to wonder to give himself hope, right? He had to wonder…whether he would be able to see Pit again. He hoped to see Pit again. No, he would see Pit again. This wasn't the end of it. No matter what Link wouldn't be able to separate them forever. And when the right time came, Marth would help Pit step outside for the first time. Just like how Pit wanted today.

Marth tucked his cell phone away and headed to Meta's house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I was able to get this one updated a bit faster after my last update of LtWR because I already had a majority of the chapter written out. It was supposed to be chapter 6, but I felt that it would have made the story progress too fast with this reveal. So I created a different chapter 6, decided to stall with the special chapter 7, and finally have this at chapter 8. I think that should be speedy enough.
> 
> 2\. Marth made five bubble wands as was talked about from the last chapter (along with Lucina needing a pickup) and all shall make an appearance eventually. Well...one of them has a guaranteed appearance.
> 
> 3\. The magic feather is a reference to Dumbo's feather that supposedly allowed him to fly. In this case, the "magic feather" of Marth's gift supposedly gave Pit courage. Another little Disney, or Pixar in this case, reference is when Link in endangerment of cutting his plate or table like Mr. Incredible did at dinner.
> 
> 4\. Link does allow Pit to watch TV. However he restricted it to certain channels and show, which prevents Pit from learning much about the outside world interestingly enough.
> 
> 5\. So...Marth does not have a car and that's why he's heading over to Meta's house. 'Cause he has a car, obviously. *shrugs* Why do you think I've constantly made Marth walk everywhere? No car, that's why. Doesn't mean he's poor though...
> 
> Well...now you guys finally know the reason why Pit isn't allowed outside. But is it the true reason? Or just an excuse? Hmm...anyways, hoped you guys enjoyed!


	9. Knowledge of the Fallen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be out on September 11 because it was meant to be a birthday present to Paradigm...oh, well. Two days after is still good enough. Enjoy, peeps.

Marth opened his tired eyes when the sun's rays filtered through his window as usual. He lay in his bed for a moment, trying to remember where he was as his dream distracted him from reality. In doing so, he drove his dream away far too quickly for his liking. That fantasy in his mind was a lot nicer to reside in than the reality he found himself in at the moment. It didn't look like anything was wrong with him, but the college student definitely felt as if his world crumbled with frighteningly increasing frequency around him. He contemplated whether he should stay in bed today until he heard noises coming from outside his room. At once Marth remembered that Lucina was staying with him for a while. It wouldn't do for him to sulk in his room the whole day. He forced himself to drag his body to the bathroom.

"Good morning, Marth," he foggily registered Lucina's call to him as he stumbled out of his room. The male blunette nodded blindly in response before disappearing into another room. Marth took a slightly longer time to finish up in his daily routine, whether because of his remaining drowsiness in his mind or the heavy weight of his heart, he couldn't tell. When he finally emerged, he noticed that Lucina was patiently waiting for him at the table. Marth gave her a rueful smile while taking his seat.

"Sorry for making you wait."

His cousin quickly waved away his apology to direct much needed attention towards the food. Without another thought, the two family members then ate their breakfast in a comfortable silence. Soon afterwards Marth took on the job of cleaning since Lucina had taken care of the food. When she protested his refusal of letting her help, he immediately responded with how she was his guest and had already done more than enough with making breakfast. It took some time but he managed to convince her to relax instead of clean.

Washing the dishes alone allowed him to reminisce about the times he cleaned up with Pit. While another person might not think fondly on those types of chores, Marth did especially since Pit was with him through it all. Any time and anything spent in his young friend's presence was always something he looked back fondly on. He oddly felt that if somebody else stood by his side during such a task, he would be betraying the boy. When Marth tried to drive that thought away, other memories decided to plague him instead. Somehow he was able to through with the simple chore albeit it required Lucina to recall his mind back to the task at hand multiple times.

He honestly couldn't help his mind from wandering back to the boy he had quickly grown to love. Pit was such a sweet, innocent child…it was difficult not to love him. It was difficult not to want to stay by his side forever. However that didn't seem possible anymore. Marth's heart ached terribly at the thought of never being with Pit again. The hazy memories of their time together was not enough to heal his void. Only the real Pit could fill the emptiness he felt, not some cheap memories meant as a temporary cure. He _needed_ to be with Pit.

Marth sighed once he placed the last dish on the rack. Always thinking about the boy couldn't possibly be good for his health, especially with the heart-wrenching emotions it brought. Perhaps a routine look at the cloud would suffice? He walked over to his comfy couch to sit on. The moment his butt touched the cushion, Lucina reappeared from her room. Thank goodness that Marth was on the last dish before his cousin left to change. Otherwise, the blunette might still be at the sink with dirty plate in one hand and sudsy sponge in other hand, his attention on neither of those things. He looked at her curiously, a look that she also returned. Her eyes traveled down and back up pointedly.

"You ready to go?"

"Go? Go where?"

"To the Warpcoin, remember? We agreed to go there to meet with everybody else."

Marth blinked once. His mind backtracked to yesterday where the event was most likely to occur. The college student recalled how they had discussed in Meta's car that they would meet up with the group tomorrow. He then nodded his head to Lucina. "Right…I remember. Just give me a minute."

"Of course."

Soon Marth found himself walking to the Warpcoin with his cousin. Throughout their trek Marth tried his best to participate in the conversation between them. He attempted to not nod to her words distractedly and actually pay attention to what Lucina had to say, a feat difficult due to how his mind was wandering a lot more than usual. Well, not exactly wandering. It was more focused on a person whose side he was usually by at this time of day. What would they have done today, just him and Pit? Would they have drawn more things despite almost running out of subjects to create art from? Would they have tried different recipes with unique yet also delicious tastes? Would they have blown bubbles using the new bubble wands Marth made for Pit?

Speaking of his gift, he still had one wand left to give to the boy. Initially he was about to include that particular wand in the set. However a moment of doubt stopped him from doing so. Pit might have been inexperienced in the ways of the outside world, but even he should know what the last wand's shape instigated, right? Now the blunette wasn't sure whether he would ever get the chance to present it to his beloved friend. He wished he had given it to Pit if that was the last day he would be seeing him.

Marth's heart froze when he had that thought. Yesterday couldn't possibly be the last time he would be seeing Pit. He couldn't fathom that idea at all. If he were to never visit the boy he had grown to love again…no, Marth wouldn't let that happen. He wouldn't dare. It was as if being with Pit was the only thing that kept Marth going. A return to his former, desolate life before meeting Pit would be detrimental. Life wouldn't be worth living at all.

Was there anything he could do to see his beloved again? Perhaps he could still visit when Link wasn't present? While that was possible, Marth didn't like the idea of sneaking in. There was a chance of Link coming home early. There were few spots to hide in the house, and the safest way to escape was through one of the windows. Yet avoiding detection would also be difficult due to Link's sharp hearing. Could Marth apologize to Link? No, he answered himself immediately. He would not apologize for doing what was right. If he apologized insincerely, he doubted that Link would buy it. The older man probably wouldn't accept it even if Marth asked genuinely. They were both stubborn that way. But could Marth honestly live without Pit? No, he couldn't. As he had thought before, life wouldn't be worth living.

"Marth!"

Said person started at the violent call of his name. he looked up to see the ring of concerned expressions staring at him. Since when did they arrive at the table already? Marth swiftly racked through his memories before vaguely remembering how they finally reached their destination with everybody else already there. Introductions were in order as Zelda was with them today. Then he and Lucina sat down to join the group. The usual bantering came around while they talked with one another and caught up. It seemed like a lot had passed yet for some reason Marth couldn't exactly recall those events in great detail. Was he really that distracted that he couldn't even remember the most recent happenings?

The one who had spoken was Lucina, who also had the most anxious look in her eyes out of all of them. Seeing that they captured his attention, Lucina continued, "Are you sure you're all right? You definitely seem a lot more distracted than usual."

Marth's heart leapt when he saw their concern for him. He hadn't told them about his true feelings for Pit yet nor did he tell them about the fight he had with Link yesterday. He didn't want them to worry about him. The college student smiled wearily in a sad attempt to appease. He nodded his head. "I'm sure. Just tired, that's all."

"Really?" Ike raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Because you didn't respond at all when we asked you a question five times. Three's usually the limit. Admit it, something's bothering you. What is it?"

"It's nothing important."

"We understand if you don't want to say, but it's not good to keep it in," Zelda said. "If you tell us, it'll make you feel better."

"We're your friends, man. We'll understand whatever you have to say," Roy added his own bit.

Marth shook his head, smile still frozen on his face. "Don't worry about it."

"Regardless, just know that we will listen if you ever want to talk," Meta spoke up. "We might not be able to help, but sometimes simply talking about it is enough."

"I know. Thank you." Though his friends still seemed unconvinced, they pursued the matter no further. They were reassured that Marth would come to them with his problems. Although he had conflicts now, he felt like it wasn't the right time yet to tell his friends. Perhaps sometime in the future when it became too unbearable, then he would say. However, judging by how his mind was unhealthily wandering back to Pit, his consultation with his friends might come sooner than he thought. For now he'd try to enjoy his time with his friends.

"Hey, look. It's Robin. Hey! Robin!" Roy called as he waved to further get the albino's attention. Said person looked over to the table that had an abnormally large number of people today. His eyes flashed when he recognized a blue head that hadn't been at the table whenever he came by. However Robin took his sweet time walking over to the group. He didn't seem to be in a huge rush like the couple of days earlier. The six people watched as the newcomer approached, all curious to the business he had with them, or one in particular. When he finally came in level with their table, Roy spoke again, "So where were you this whole time? Marth actually came by some days ago."

"Sorry. I just came back yesterday from a tournament," Robin explained. He was about to say more, or possibly talk to Marth, when Lucina quickly interrupted:

"What kind of a tournament was it, if you don't mind my asking?"

Robin looked over at her. The slightest blush appeared on his cheeks but thankfully nobody said anything. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, just some tournament for a variety of games like LMAO."

"LMAO?"

"League Masters and Order," Zelda quickly clarified. "It's an extremely popular PC game."

Ike smirked at his girlfriend. "Of course you would know, Zel."

She stuck her tongue at him before addressing Robin. "You're part of the champion team, aren't you, Robin?" He nodded in confirmation, a slight flush of pride now coloring his face.

"My team and I had to be there to defend our title. I missed a few lectures, but it was worth it."

"I bet it was since I heard that you succeeded," Zelda hid a smile.

A sudden small cough drew everybody's attention. They looked over to Marth staring at Robin intently. The blunette tilted his head to the side. "You…wanted to give me a message?" he gently reminded.

"Oh, right, right. Sorry about getting carried away," Robin apologized. Marth waved the apology aside. Normally he wasn't this impatient for anything other than getting to Pit's house on time. However he wanted to get his mind off of Pit. Fat chance of that happening, but he might as well try. Unfortunately that was an impossible wish as Marth would never be able to get his mind off of Pit completely and with what the gamer said next. Robin took a deep breath before plunging forward:

"Nadir says to stop. He doesn't want you telling his brother stories or visiting him ever again."

Multiple eyebrows rose at that. An uncomfortable silence settled on the table at the rather blunt and rude message. Marth simply stared back at the albino with his unwavering eyes. Robin squirmed under the gaze of his peers, the receiver of his dispatch unnerving him the most. The saying "don't kill the messenger" crossed his mind.

"Wait, who's Nadir?" Lucina frowned in question.

"He's Pit's older brother," Meta explained. Before she could ask further, the shorter student continued, "Pit is a close friend of Marth's. But why would his older brother want Marth to stop? As far as we know, he wasn't doing anything bad."

Robin shrugged. "I'm just passing on the message Nadir wanted to give to Marth. It's none of my business, but Nadir was quite insistent on me telling Marth that."

"Why didn't he just email or call my cousin? Or tell him in person when Marth visits his house? It would have been a lot faster that way."

"We asked the same questions before too," Roy commented on the side.

"I really don't know. It would have been awkward asking. And Nadir doesn't live with Pit."

"…Let me talk to him," Marth who had been dwelling on Nadir's statement for the past minutes finally spoke up again. His friends looked at him in surprise. There was a strange determination in the college student's eyes. He was not going to take no for an answer. Though logic told him that Nadir had no idea about the fight he had with Link, some instinct told him that Link already told his other son. If that was the case, then Nadir would have had the opportunity to tell Robin not to rely the message. However he still wanted Marth to hear those words. The college student wondered why. Since his only connection with the mysterious brother was through Robin at the moment, he might as well try and contact Nadir now. Who knew? Perhaps Marth would be able to convince Nadir into changing his stance about him seeing his younger brother. Or at least ask him to persuade Link into forgiving him. Though that was less likely to happen seeing how Nadir was already unhappy with Marth visiting Pit to begin with.

"Excuse me. What?" Robin asked.

"Let me talk to him."

"That's…not a good idea."

"Why?"

"Well…Nadir told me not to call him throughout this whole week. Said that he had some business to do and he didn't want to be disturbed since the tournament already set him back a few days."

"…Let me talk to him."

Robin returned Marth's stare for a moment longer before sighing in resignation and pulling out his phone. He knew that he wasn't going to win this argument any time soon with Marth's stubbornness getting in the way. It was obvious that no amount of persuading or reasoning could deter the blunette from wanting to talk to Pit's older brother. He scrolled through his contacts before reaching Nadir's name. He clicked on it and handed it rather swiftly to Marth. The blunette raised an eyebrow at Robin's rush but didn't comment on it. He held the phone up to his ear, the sound of the dialing filling his head. After a few seconds, the person Marth presumed to be Nadir picked up. However the receiver wasn't like everybody who said hello in an inquiring tone.

Marth could see even his friends flinching at the loud voice coming from the phone. Not only that, Nadir's immediate swearing also made them all cringe, especially Robin:

"Fuck you, Tactician! I fucking told you not to call me this whole week! I fucking swear, if you fucking call me one more fucking time, I'm coming over there and breaking your shitty legs! You hear me, Robin?! Fuck, man!"

Before Marth could even utter a word, the line beeped its death. He blinked once before shifting his attention over to Robin. The albino shrugged a silent "sorry, but I told you so." He held out his hand for the return of his phone. However Marth hesitated in returning the device. He was still in slight astonishment at the attitude Nadir showed. It was insane that his sweet, little friend could be related to such a foul-mouthed delinquent. Perhaps he was in a horrible mood since he did warn Robin to not call him. After all, Pit did tell Marth how nice his older brother was to him. Still it was scandalous to hear those words in a voice almost identical to Pit's. He could never imagine the boy ever saying those kinds of words.

"Can I please have my phone back?" Robin inquired. Marth snapped out of his thoughts. He looked at the phone in his hand for another brief moment before handing it back to Robin. The albino took it gratefully. "Anyways, I should be going now. I'll see you guys later." The group politely waved their farewells as the student walked off. Once he disappeared they quickly turned their attention back to Marth.

"What the hell was that about?" Ike was tempted to replace one of his words with another word to emphasize his shock, but another person had already used it more times he cared to count. "What was that guy's problem?"

"Are you sure he's related to Pit?" Meta asked Marth. The blunette nodded numbly in response. The shorter student crossed his arms in thought though his mask gave little of what he was thinking to his friends.

"Well, he did tell Robin not to call him that whole week. He probably assumed that it was Robin who called him, not Marth," Lucina suggested.

"Probably," Roy agreed. "Still, that didn't give him a good excuse to curse up a storm. I thought he actually said 'fucking' after every word."

"What were you planning to ask him anyways, Marth? Did it have something to do with Pit?" Zelda questioned gently.

"…yeah," the college student admitted. His friends exchanged quick glances with each other, glances that Marth missed due to staring at the table melancholically.

"Did something happen?" Meta probed further. Marth hesitated before shaking his head. That didn't convince Meta or the others at all. Yet the blunette still refused to say anything about the matter. If they knew then they would have immediately offered some advice. Seeing how they only knew that it had something to do with Marth's mysterious friend without any full details, there was little they could say and do. Suddenly Marth stood up, his expression unreadable now.

"I think I'm going home to rest for a bit," Marth quietly said. "Lucina, you have a key to my apartment on you, right?"

"Yeah, but do you want me to go home with you?"

Marth was already shaking his head no before his cousin finished her sentence. "It's fine. Stay here. It'd be fun for you to spend time with them."

"You're not going over to Pi-?" Zelda quickly jabbed her elbow into her boyfriend's side, earning a grunt of pain. Ike looked at her indignantly, his eyes asking what he did wrong. Zelda responded angrily with her own eyes. However the damage was already done. A cold air suddenly blanketed the group and it wasn't because of Nadir's cursing. The whole table shifted uncomfortably when Marth narrowed his eyes.

"No, I'm not," he said tersely. Before anybody else could speak up to stop him, Marth quickly turned away to leave. He walked a few steps before somebody called to him.

"Marth?"

Said young man turned to see Meta stare at him solemnly. The shorter student had also stood up at this point. Marth waited for his friend to say his bit but he wasn't moving any closer. Meta let the silence stretch between them as he searched for some hidden message in Marth's eyes. Though it was difficult to see from the distance between them, the masked student could make out an extremely faint sign of something. Of what, he wasn't exactly sure. However he knew that it wasn't good if it was causing Marth to act negatively. He knew he couldn't really say much to change his friend's mind at the moment, but at least he could say, "Don't let your obsession take over."

Marth simply blinked, and Meta could see that the faint something had disappeared. "Of course," the college student said hollowly before he turned back to the road to return home.

…

Again, Link cursed himself for allowing Marth to get close to his son. Even though it had been days since the college student showed himself here, time did little to appease Link's anger concerning Marth. The first moment he laid eyes on Marth, he knew there was something weird about the blunette. He should have known better than to let an outsider into their lives, an outsider who had the upsetting potentiality to turn their whole world upside down. He should have went with his gut feeling and let the blunette go after allowing Marth to see his son like he initially promised. However the father just had to ask the college student to babysit his son for one day. Then he just had to allow Marth to visit whenever he wanted. It seemed, at first, a great decision at the time. The father could leave with less of a worry about Pit leaving the house or somebody kidnapping his son. But now look at what happened. His son, his precious, adorable son, asked to go outside after Link made it absolutely clear that the house was the safest and only place Pit should be in. And it was all Marth's fault.

The father cursed the college student's existence. Why did he have to tell Pit stories about the outside world? Was it really that difficult to just watch over him without telling him such ridiculous ideas? Now his son would have idiotic notions and dangerous ideas about said place. Those idiotic notions and dangerous ideas would only lead Pit down a troubling path. He had already made sure before that his son had no chance of straying off his designated path. Unfortunately Marth's story-telling caused Pit to question his life. There were small traces of a new route opening to the boy, a new road that the father had no intention of allowing his son to follow. Now Link had to destroy that newfound path and any other options available. He would not permit Marth's stories corrupt Pit's mind anymore. At least now Marth was out of their lives, no longer threatening their peaceful way. He vowed to himself that he wouldn't repeat that mistake. Even if Marth came crawling back asking for forgiveness and begging on his knees, Link would not accept his apology.

"Dad…"

Pit's timid voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked over to where his son was quietly rolling the peas around his plate with his fork. The man was able to get some of his cooking skills back. However the food he made was second-rate to the meals he and Pit became used to eating the past few months. Link frowned at the sorrowful expression the boy had. He ignored the awkward feeling of having only empty air where another person should have been sitting with them at the table. He didn't want to acknowledge how much of an impression Marth had left them. The sooner they forgot about him, the better.

"What is it, Pit?"

"Is…" Pit hiccupped, "is Marth com-."

"He is not allowed to come back, Pit," Link said tersely. Pit flinched from his harsh words. The boy inhaled shallowly. His heart wrestled with whether or not he should pursue the matter further. Before Marth had come into his life, the boy would have let it settle right there. Now he plunged forth in curiosity and melancholy.

"…W-why not?"

"Because he continuously broke my rules. If he can't follow the rules, then he isn't allowed in this house."

Pit hesitated. It looked like he was pondering on what to say next. "What…"

Link did not like where this was going.

"What rules did he break?

"You don't need to know. Finish your dinner." Link picked his fork back up, hoping that that would be the final word on the matter. Unfortunately his son wanted otherwise.

"What rules did he break, Dad?" Pit repeated.

The older man set down his utensils again. He looked at his son with a frown. He wasn't normally this inquisitive. Usually after Link gave him a slight explanation, the boy was content with that. "Pit, what has gotten into you?"

"I…I just want to know."

"Even if you do know what rules he broke, it won't change the fact that he is not welcome here anymore."

"But why? Marth didn't do anything wrong. All he did was take care of me and play with me."

"…"

"I miss him, Dad…can't he come back, please?"

"…no."

"Why?"

"Because I said so, Pit."

Pit shook his head. "That's not a good reason for not letting him come back, Dad."

"…good…reason?" Link asked softly. His son suddenly shrank in his seat at the strange tone the older man was using. The dad glared at the boy. "I see. This is the result of that bastard coming here. You really want to know my reason?" Pit flinched at the venom dripping from his dad's words. He could tell that he pushed his dad too far now. He was beginning to regret his decision. Link continued:

"It's because of the lies he's been telling you, the things he's been insinuating. While I don't mind him encouraging you to draw, I do have a problem with him trying to persuade you into going outside when I clearly told him that you are not to go outside. And do you know why I told him that? Because I thought I could trust him to protect you from everything that would hurt you out there. But he betrayed that trust and still encouraged you to go outside."

"But Dad. It wasn't his idea to go outside that day. It was mine! He didn't know-."

"That doesn't matter! He gave you that idea! He told you stupid things that shouldn't have been told. And because of that, you're getting silly notions of stepping foot out of the only place that guarantees your safety! Why would you disobey me now after promising me you wouldn't leave the house? You only started to want this after he came along with his lies. No matter how you look at it, it's his fault."

"But I'm the one who-!"

"I already said it doesn't matter if he didn't know or if you asked! He still encouraged you when he shouldn't have! For the last time, you are not going outside, Pit! And Marth is not allowed here anymore! Not now, not ever! Do you hear me? I don't want to hear this nonsense again!"

"But Dad!"

"Pit!" Link slammed his fist on the table, making the plates fly into the sky before they crashed back down. Pit jumped in his seat at the sudden violence, his heart leaping like their meal. His mouth was slightly open but not even a horrified cry could be heard. Link inhaled sharply to calm himself. He saw the petrified look on his son's face and guilt stabbed at his heart. He sighed in resignation as he rubbed his eyes. "Pit…I'm only doing this for your own good. You have to understand that…" When his son didn't respond, Link sighed again. "…finish your dinner, Pit." The meal continued on in a silence tenser than before. Only the sounds of forks scratching the plate echoed in the kitchen. When they finally finished, Link told Pit to go upstairs to get ready for bed while he cleaned up. His son obeyed without a word, silently leaving the room. The dad listened to the disappearing footsteps before focusing his attention on the dishes.

When he finished and went upstairs to Pit's room, Link saw how his son was already in bed with the covers pulled up to his chin. His cobalt eyes met Pit's sapphire ones and Link gave his son a small, tired smile. However Pit sat up in bed and slid his eyes away from his dad's gaze. Link tried to ignore that as he walked over to the boy. The green-clad man gently grasped Pit's shoulder with one hand while the other touched under Pit's chin. He tilted Pit's head up so they met eyes again. Before the younger could ask with confused words, the older answered with a soothing kiss.

Pit moaned slightly when he felt his dad message his shoulder. He instinctively reached out to wrap his own arms around Link's neck. The boy gasped slightly when Link shifted to bite the side of his neck. Then Pit felt the familiar sensation of his skin being sucked. He tightened his grip around Link's neck.

However his dad ended the session a bit earlier than he expected. Pit looked at Link in confusion as the older man pulled away. Link simply pushed Pit back to lay on his bed. Then he pulled the covers back up comfortably. He patted his son's head softly, as if to urge Pit to go to sleep.

"Pit, I have to go back to my workplace for a little bit. So we won't be able to comfort each other tonight, all right?"

"Yes, Dad."

Link gave another smile as he leaned in to give one last kiss. Pit responded with his own kiss. When they parted again, Link patted Pit's cheek. "Good night, Pit."

"Good night, Dad." The older man nodded as he walked away from the bed. Pit watched his dad open the door to leave. However Link paused there for a moment in deep thought. After a while, he finally looked back at Pit again.

"…I love you, Son."

"I love you too, Dad," Pit replied. Link lingered at the door for a few more seconds before turning away. He closed the door silently with only the click of the lock as a sound. Despite being shut in, Pit could hear his father's footsteps walking away. As soon as they stepped out of range, the boy leapt from his covers to head to his window. He reached for the lock but hesitated once he touched it. Remembering Marth's stories, Pit steeled himself and unlocked the window. Yet his fingers again remained frozen, not yet pushing the panel up. His heart pounded a million miles per second at what he did. The blood rushing to his head pulsed in tune with his heart. Was he really going to do this? At night when his father told him it was the most dangerous time of all? What if a kidnapper broke in right now to steal him away? Or a gun suddenly pointed at his head to take his life? Surely not! He would be crazy to do something against Link's will. Even Nadir warned him about the different terrors the darkness brought.

However he remembered the various stories Marth told him, especially about how some people occasionally celebrated holidays at night. Perhaps nighttime wasn't at all that bad then if other people would venture out. He certainly hoped that was the case. Pit took a deep breath before he cracked his window up for the smallest of breeze to filter through. He waited a tense moment to see what would happen next. Two, five, twelve, twenty, thirty seconds passed and nothing happened. No shadowy figure climbing through the opening. No frightening banshee screeching his ears dry. Nothing. Just the wind gently beckoning him to open up a bit further. He shifted his hands, thinking that he moved the window up a little bit when in reality he didn't. The boy froze again. He waited until he heard the front door of his house opening.

Pit searched the streets for some signs of his father. He wondered what could be keeping the older man when a small spark moving down the street caught his attention. The little fire lit up just a part of Link's face, but Pit knew that that was his dad. He realized that Link had stayed by the door to light his cigarette before continuing his way to his workplace. The boy watched the spark disappear around the corner. The moment he lost his target, Pit sprang from his bed towards his wardrobe.

He pulled out the attire he had set aside long ago for the day he would finally step foot outside. The boy changed quickly into the shirt and pants, slipping on the jacket usually reserved for colder nights. He reached into the jacket pocket to pull out the drawing he had stored. Pit's heart leapt when he recognized the markings of Marth's apartment. Perhaps he would be able to find the place his beloved friend lived in. Surely it couldn't that far from his own home, right? Pit figured that he would have time to visit Marth for a brief moment before sprinting back home. By then it wouldn't be as scary since Marth might also accompany the boy home. He also grabbed the flashlight he had stored with his other equipment. For a while Pit considered whether he should bring along Marth's gift. After a moment of struggling with himself, he finally relented with pocketing the yellow, plus-shaped bubble wand since it was the brightest out of all of them.

After gathering everything he deemed necessary for his journey, Pit slowly creaked his door open. His fearful, sapphire orbs registered only darkness and nothing else. He waited for something to appear when nothing would. His scouting of the area finished, Pit tip-toed out of his room. He immediately flipped the flashlight on for the small bright circle to lead his way. A strange thrill ran down the boy's spine. Though the terror was clearly there, his heart also pulsed with excitement. He couldn't exactly explain it but he wasn't complaining about it either. If only fear resided in his heart at the moment, then he wouldn't be here. Pit steadily stepped down the stairs.

Once he reached the living room Pit headed towards the foyer. He shivered from the freezing temperatures of the house. For some reason his once comfortable house transformed into a desolate, creepy place. Everywhere he shined his light, his heart leapt in fear before his mind could register the familiar sight. The rabid bear hibernated as the sofa, the snapping alligator flattened further into a table, and the smirking dragon towered like their potted plant. Pit had to take several deep breaths before he could continue. It took a lot of his willpower to resist the almost overwhelming desire to race back up the stairs into his room and under his covers. Each time he would be plagued by that temptation, the boy would remind himself about what Marth told him. Simply remembering Marth's kind voice enabled him to overcome those urges. He continued onward.

Soon Pit came face-to-face with the magical door. He stared at it with wide eyes, his circle bathing it in spotlight. This was it. This was finally his chance to step into the forbidden realm of the outside world, the world that both his father and brother discouraged him from entering. A small voice in his head whispered that he wouldn't dare. He shouldn't be doing this. Why was he doing this? He could be safe in his bed right now, dreaming of happiness. He would not be in any of the dangers that his father warned him about, being kidnapped and stabbed and burned and drowned. And what would Link think of his actions? After all these years of discouraging him from going outside, how would his dad react? Judging from Link's reactions the past few days and especially tonight, he would not take it so lightly. Pit would definitely be punished for this disobedience after his dad already reemphasized his ban. In fact tonight's fight was almost enough to stop Pit from continuing. The thought of what Link might do to him almost coaxed him back to his room.

Yet a different thought stopped him from listening blindly. Marth had taught him that the world he feared so much was not without its positivity. While there were bad things, his dear friend encouraged him not to forsake the good things simply because the bad exist. After all Marth himself came from the outside world. He brought with him stories, fun, food, and warmth, all from the forbidden place. So it couldn't possibly be all that bad, could it? Pit felt in his pocket for the bubble wand. He held it close to his chest in reminder of his friend. Though it was a poor substitute to Marth's loving warmth, it still gave the boy courage and reinvigorated his purpose. He would simply go out for a while and return, just enough so nothing bad of the sort could happen to him.

Pit held his breath as he turned the knob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yes, LMAO is pretty much a parody of LOL. Just because. The tournament that Robin was at could also been seen as...a parody of EVO, I guess? Pfft, I don't know. It was something major though, let's say that.
> 
> 2\. Well, I had fun writing Nadir's part with all his swearing! And you guys finally get a chance to see him in person(?) slightly other than just hearing about him.
> 
> 3\. I hope you guys all know what I was referencing with the smirking dragon that turned out to be a potted plant (coughalolanexeggutorcough).
> 
> Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed. See you guys next time.


	10. Lies Become Truths

Outside was a lot colder than inside. That was the first thing Pit noticed as the frigid air bit into his cheeks. The boy pulled his jacket tighter around him and fished for his hood. His bubble wand was still in his hand when he tightly clenched the lower part of his hood together to protect his neck. Despite his fingers turning into ice, Pit continued to light his way through the means of his flashlight. The street looked a lot different with him standing outside than him viewing it from his window. The buildings around him towered over him like so many…mountains. They made him smaller than he really was, which did not help him with his self-confidence. He already had trouble convincing himself to walk down the streets in secret by himself. He didn't need any imaginative disapproval from the inanimate objects around him either.

Inhaling a deep breath, Pit finally, nervously convinced himself to take a step forward. He took another step. And another. And another. Another one. Another one. Until finally he was walking down the sidewalk with only a circle of light to guide his way. The young boy had to remind himself to breathe lest he forgot from the paralysis of fear. At times the light would jump to another spot faster than the eye could follow, as if it sniffed out a danger to notify its master of. No such dangers came, though that didn't stop the young boy's heart from pulsing fiercely in his head every second. The wind constantly howled a scolding sound in his ears, and Pit soon found his teeth chattering away even with his warm clothes.

He wasn't sure how long he walked for but he felt that it must have been extremely long. The winds constantly howled its freezing temperature, sometimes blowing the boy this way and that before he could regain his footing. His hands numbed to the point that he feared he wouldn't be able to keep his grip on his only light source. Although there were streetlamps posted along the sidewalk, none lit his way. Having no lights added to the secrecy of it all, though some small light other than his own would have helped cheer him up. The only thing that kept him going was the yellow bubble wand in his left hand. Looking at it constantly reminded him that he would be able to see his dear friend Marth again soon. That was, if he could survive the night.

Pit desperately wanted to see Marth again. He missed the older male immensely. It wasn't like the aching feeling the boy felt when Link left. No, this sensation hurt a lot more. He constantly thought about Marth and couldn't wait for the next day to come so the college student would visit again. More than once Pit pleaded with Marth to simply sleepover all the time. There were points when Pit became hopeful that Marth would do it as the college student seemed to be on the verge of saying yes. However he refused every single time, reassuring Pit that he would visit as much as possible and stay as long as possible to make up the lost time. And now…Marth was gone. The lump in Pit's throat grew bigger when he had that thought. Marth was gone from his life. Gone forever, never to be seen, or touched, or kissed again. Because his father misunderstood that the college student tried to get Pit to go outside. Because his father became angry with Marth's supposed insolence. Because his father was jealous.

His father…Pit shivered again, not from the cold this time, but from the thought of how furious his dad would be when he found out that the boy broke the number one rule in that house. He couldn't remember the last time he disobeyed his dad. That must have been when he was younger, a time period that was still a bit scrambled in his mind. Despite that he was certain that Link became very angry with the boy, almost as furious with Marth, and the punishment he gave out back then certainly persuaded Pit never to disobey him ever again. That thought almost made him turn back to ensure that he wouldn't a punishment like that again. Pit had to use the blissful memories of his time with Marth to shoo the less favorable thought of his father's wrath and lend him courage to continue forward again.

Yet Pit had to wonder why he told himself that his father was jealous of Marth. The other two statements he made before were observations anybody could have easily seen. The last statement was made by Pit quietly. There was really no hard evidence to suggest that Link ever felt that emotion against Marth. After all, the boy was certain that he gave equal amounts of his affection to both parties, more so to his dad obviously because they've been together longer. So Link shouldn't have any reason involving Pit to be envious of Marth. Yet something deep inside Pit whispered to him that his dad was jealous. He didn't know about the exact details but this resentment was the main reason that Link drove Marth away. Pit hoped that his gut feeling was wrong despite it feeling so right.

Lost in his thoughts, the young boy didn't realize that he had entered a dark alleyway. He flinched instinctively at the sudden crunch underneath his foot. The sound magnified in the surrounding silence and tore him away from his thoughts. He lifted his leg to see what it was, the familiar sight of an opened Cheetos bag greeting him. Pit let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he put his foot back down in a clear area. No longer distracted by inner turmoil, he looked around to see where he was. He was surprised to see that on either side he was bounded by red walls made of bricks, he learned from Marth. The space between those two walls seemed large enough to allow three men to walk abreast. Other trash besides the Cheetos bag littered the concrete, and Pit switched his hand position from his neck to his nose as the horrible stench took priority over the bitter cold. Before him was a large metal fence with a groaning door. He could see distant, bright lights beyond that point. Though it seemed like a long way, Pit surmised that that was the city where Marth lived. Excitement swelling in him, he began to sprint towards the fence.

He reached it quickly, stopping just in front of the metallic door. The boy quickly grabbed onto the door's edge before releasing it from the burning cold that sent violent shivers through Pit's arms all the way down to his toes. He pressed his palm on his jacket to recover some warmth. Once he was sure that he was ready to try again, Pit slowly inched his hand towards the door this time. He held the door, taking in the cold once again. Once he was used to it he attempted to tug on it. A rattling sound below prompted him to look down. A rusty chain with a lock wrapped around the door's edge and the fence to prevent anybody from entering. Pit's heart dropped when he realized that now he had to look for a different route to see Marth. And who knew how long that would take. He wasn't even sure how long it had taken him to reach this point. What if Link was already home and had discovered that Pit wasn't in bed? What would his father do then? The thought froze him faster than the blustery weather. So what was he to do? Continue looking for Marth? Or go home in failure? Pit had no idea.

It was his indecision that allowed strong hands to easily grab him by his wrists. Before his mind could process it, those same hands slammed him into one of the brick walls. Pit cried out from the unfamiliar pain and attempted to curl up. However those hands gripped him tight. The impact of the wall had knocked the flashlight from his grip, but he managed to tighten his grasp around his yellow bubble wand. His flashlight slammed onto the ground hard before its yellow circle died, preventing him from getting a real good look at his assailants. He could only make out three human shapes, all towering menacingly over him. Again he tried to curl into a protective ball.

"Since when did you turn into such a fucking wuss, Nadir?" a harsh voice asked. Pit flinched from the intensity of the tone and foul usage of language before he realized that these strangers had mistaken him as his older brother. He remembered Nadir talking about how he encountered scary people on a daily basis. Why would his brother do that when he could easily avoid them? Pit wasn't sure and he didn't know if he even wanted to know. All he knew was that he wanted to say that they had the wrong person and for them to let him go. However he was too petrified to do anything other than shrivel up and whimper.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. This ain't Nadir."

"What drugs are you on, of course it's him!"

"It ain't Nadir! Are you two fucking blind?"

Suddenly a flash of light caused Pit to squint his eyes shut. The yellow light still shone on his closed eyelids. He tried to turn his face away but a rough handling kept his head in place.

"Looks like him, but it's not."

"Could have easily dyed his hair. Kid, open your eyes."

At the command, Pit shook his head as best he could with the hand still holding him tight. He didn't want to look as he knew he would be inflicted with the weird, colorful shapes that you always saw after staring straight into a light source for too long. That was one reason. Another was that he didn't want to see exactly the face of his assaulters as he imagined them to be extremely grotesque. He didn't want to remember something like that for the rest of his life.

"Open them if you know what's good for you," the same person, the one who knew the truth, snarled. Something pressed against Pit's throat, and his instincts told him not to move. Pit whimpered in fear as his heart pulsed wildly in his ears. Yet he still didn't obey. It was only until the object dug a bit deeper into his skin did he finally open his eyes just the slightest bit.

"Wider, damnit."

Pit blinked multiple times as he tried to resist his instincts screaming at him to close his eyes against the light. He managed to keep his eyes open for longer periods of time by looking at everything other than the light source.

"See? Was that so fucking hard?" Pit realized now that the person who was holding the flashlight had been the one giving the orders. Though he was the shortest one in the group of three, the young man still stood taller than Pit. His skin was only a duller, sicker shade of his blonde, messy hair. His dull black eyes and twitching mouth might have looked cute if he wasn't scowling scarily. For some reason Pit was reminded of a mouse when he looked at this man's face. His bright yellow jacket must have glowed at one point but now it stained with brown and red, two crimson spots being most prominent on the collar portion. His pants were the same color as his jacket and had a lightning bolt symbol on the side. He wore yellow boots that matched the rest of his coloration in a darker tone.

The tallest one was the one who held Pit's arms above his head, finally releasing his grasp on the boy's face. He had his red hair slicked back like two horns. The extension of his neck allowed Pit to notice two jeweled collars choking the man. He bared dragon-like fangs as he glared with his fierce and charred blue eyes. Despite the wintry winds freezing everybody, his orange jacket flapped open to reveal scarred abs. Two orange cloths with teal undersides attached to the coat fluttered in said wind, though for what purpose Pit had no idea. His black baggy pants had a flaming symbol in the same spot as the lightning bolt on the first person's pants while his black boots seemed to be spiked at the toes. The man also wore orange gloves with sharp tips that glittered in what little light flashed on it.

The last stranger might have been the strangest one, the one keeping something sharp at Pit's neck. His blue hair with yellow underside formed three horn-like protrusions. Though it was difficult for the boy to see a scowl from this man due to the pink scarf covering the lower part of his face, he could still tell by the man's narrowed, dampened pink eyes. There was something about the scarf that Pit didn't like, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. The man wore a blue bodysuit with a white spot marking the elbows and knees. Similarly to the dragon-like man, the upper part was ripped open to show a scarred body. More scars, lesser built. He also wore blue gloves but these were strange in that they were webbed as if for swimming. As ever there was a symbol on the leg's side, this time of a water drop. There wasn't anything special about his navy boots.

The yellow man snorted at his two companions, "Told you guys it ain't him. Nadir's got them damn stupid red eyes. Besides, the kid's soft looking."

"He still looks like he could be his twin though, dontcha think?" the blue man questioned.

The red man then rumbled, adding his own two-bit into the conversation, "The only thing that Nadir would even call his brother is that blonde brat always tagging behind him. Not this pampered rich kid." He glared at Pit. The boy couldn't stop himself from trembling now as his fear paralyzed his mind form speaking coherent words. From the way these three men talked about his brother, he guessed that they didn't like Nadir very much. He wondered why that was the case when his brother was extremely nice to him. Even so, that caused the idea of telling them that Nadir was his older brother to die in his mind. Now he had no idea what to do. All he knew was that he wanted to go home now where he would be safe from any sorts of danger and far away from these three scary men. Despite that, he couldn't muster up the courage to say anything as he continued to look on, petrified.

"Since it ain't Nadir, I think we should have a little fun with him," the yellow man chuckled harshly. The words sent shivers down Pit's spine. His companions exchanged equally savage grins, agreeing with what he proposed. The supposed leader then reached into his pocket to take out what Pit perceived to be a gun. If it was even possible, Pit's eyes widened even more in terror. The yellow man's smirk grew bigger when he saw that satisfying reaction from the boy. "Hehe, let's see how well my little Taser works on you," he said as he slapped the gun-like weapon against his shoulder.

Pit shook his head frantically. Although he wasn't exactly what a Taser was, he knew that it would inflict painful damage on him. He could feel tears starting to form before finally falling. When he tried to speak, he managed to find his voice but the words came out in a sob:

"N-n-no, p-please…d-don't! Please, n-n-no!"

"That's what you get for stepping in our territory," the blue man rasped. A long, pink tongue peeked from his scarf. "Don't damage him too much though, Pikachu. I think this one's got value in other areas." The sharp object finally removed itself from Pit's neck, only to be replaced by a rough glove. Pit held his breath as he felt the glove travel around his neck, probing at some points. One of those points was the same spot which Link gave a quick kiss before he left. The blue man's tongue traveled from one side of his mouth to the other before disappearing.

"Greninja, you're disgusting," the red man growled bluntly. At those words, the rough hand retreated from the boy's neck as Greninja laughed cruelly.

"Even you can't deny it, Charizard! I'm sure a fuckable little face like his would pay us a pretty little penny!" The blue man continued to laugh while his red companion simply glowered at him with the disgust plain on his face. It got to the point where Greninja started coughing for breath from laughing too hard, making Charizard roll his eyes. Throughout the whole exchange the big man did not loosen his grip once even when Pit tried to curl his arms to cover himself. All feeling was leaving Pit's hands from the devastating combination of Charizard's iron grip and the freezing wind.

The yellow man, Pikachu, scoffed. "As long as I get to test my little baby out." He smirked at Pit again, who couldn't stop his trembling or sobs. The light of the flashlight wavered a bit as Pikachu aimed the Taser at the boy once again. At that Pit simply cried even louder. A snarl passed over the yellow man. "Would you shut up?!"

Pit shook his head as giant tears rolled down his cheeks. He regretted his decision to go outside so much. He should have listened to his dad and not believe in Marth's stories. His father was right. The outside world was a dangerous place. He would only meet bad people like these three. Now he desperately wished that he was at home like he was supposed to be. But from his father's stories, now even that was impossible. Pit wouldn't be able to return home not because Link wouldn't let him, but because these three men would take him so far away that he wouldn't know which way to walk home. Yet he still clung onto the faint hope that he would be able to go home, so much so that he began crying that out:

"I-I-I w-want to go h-h-home! I w-w-want D-Dad! P-Please let m-me go! I-I want t-to go home!"

"Just shut him up already!" At the command, Charizard grabbed a cloth from his pocket and shoved it into Pit's mouth. The boy couldn't help but make a sickened face at the taste of the dirty rag. He didn't even know how to begin to describe it. It seemed to be effective in shutting him up though. "Finally!" Pikachu said in an exasperated tone. He got ready with aiming the gun at Pit again. Yet the boy refused to quiet down and his cries, though muffled, were still loud. Perhaps if he wished hard enough, somebody would save him. "For Arceus's sake, shut the fuck up!" Pikachu held the Taser in a position to hit Pit.

"What are you three doing?!" The loud voice made the whole group jump. Pit heard Pikachu curse loudly at the interruption. He quivered at the venomous look the yellow man gave him before Pikachu turned to see who the voice belonged to despite already having a good idea.

Two newcomers stood a few feet away from the small group. One of them wore a black mask that still allowed two red eyes to stare disapprovingly. They attempted to shine, but something had already dulled them like the other pairs of eyes. A single fang gleamed in the same manner. Though the stranger's blue hair was still messy, the way it was brushed signaled that he attempted to clean it at least once a day. Lean like the scarf man, he wore a cream-colored sleeveless shirt that had a spike on the chest. His gradient blue-to-black gloves that ran to his biceps also had a similar spike on the back of the hand. He had on blue baggy pants with a fist symbol on the side and black boots that made him stand slightly taller than the young man next to him.

The second person shared the same ruby orbs as his companion. However they were noticeably brighter than everybody else's. He would have nearly been impossible to see in the shadows were it not for his golden armbands and his pale complexion. Unlike the first person, he wore all black from his ebony hair and dark scarf to his raven tank top and shadowed baggy pants. A murky jacket around his waist added to the baggage sagging down. The almost invisible lines on his face showed wary signs that he grew up far too quickly in a place most inappropriate for children. Take away those lines, and he would have been almost the splitting image of Pit. His sharp eyes blinked in confusion before they made out one specific individual that he never expected to see out here. His mouth, which should have been set into a permanent scowl, twisted around on itself to reveal another emotion other than the usual arrogance and anger he liked to have.

"Pit, what are you doing out here?" the older doppelganger asked, barely able to hide the shocked fury in his voice. The boy blinked at his name. At the sight of a familiar face, Pit sobbed even louder, the rag already soaking wet from his saliva, and fresh tracks of tears trailed down his cheeks. He desperately wanted to run over there and hug his older brother and never let go. However the tall man, Charizard wouldn't let him go. When he attempted to struggle against the iron grip, Charizard simply tightened his own hold to make the boy whimper in pain. Nadir snarled when he saw how they were treating his little brother. His knife already flashed in his hand before he realized it as he glared maliciously at them. "Let my brother go."

"Kid trespassed in our territory, so we have a right to do whatever we want with him," Pikachu spat. Nadir scowled at those words. However he knew that Pikachu was right. Pit had trespassed on the Pokémon gang's property. If he had been a member of one of the main gangs, they might have thought twice before messing with him. But since he was an outsider, they indeed had a right to do what they wanted with him. By that street law Nadir shouldn't even have interfered, especially with how he had just finished an agreement with Lucario concerning their respective gangs. Despite knowing that, his brotherly instinct refused to acknowledge it in favor of his sibling. If it had been anybody else, Nadir wouldn't even give a damn to save them. But this was his shut-in, little brother. Pit was a naïve boy who didn't know any better. In Nadir's mind that was justification enough for the gangsters to leave him alone along with the fact that this was _his_ brother. They should have known that.

"We didn't even know you had a family." Greninja smirked. "And I'm surprise you could have such an adorable brother with how _you_ turned out."

Nadir turned his glare from Pikachu to Greninja. If looks could kill now, the blue man would have dropped dead in that instance. He didn't appreciate the man's attempts to get under his skin nor the slurs hurled at him. He just had to get Pit away from them all, especially from Greninja. If it wasn't obvious by now, the man had a creepy record concerning what he did with trespassers. Nadir pointed the knife towards said man. "I'm just going to say it one more time, fucktard. Let…my…brother…go."

"Or what?"

"Or you're going to lose that disgusting tongue you're so proud of." The Pokémon gang should be having the advantage here with Pit as the hostage. Despite that, Greninja still paled a bit at Nadir's threat. He knew that his rival had every intention to carry it out if they didn't listen. The man stepped back slightly, hand reaching for an extra kunai just in case as said tongue licked his lips rapidly.

"In the midst our truce?" Charizard rumbled in warning. While he didn't mind seeing Nadir go through with his threat, he did understand that if the young man did go and do that to Greninja, it would be a violation to the treaty that Nadir and Lucario had presumably negotiated successfully for their respective gangs. It would be like a declaration of war, and nobody on either side wanted that to happen. That was the reasoning behind them meeting for the parleys in the first place. Yet it seemed as if Nadir disregarded that as well for the sake of his so-called brother. His narrowed eyes confirmed Charizard that, that if they didn't listen to him and release his presumably younger brother, they could kiss the agreement's ass good-bye.

The same thought ran in another person's mind. Lucario finally decided to take matters into her own hands when they seemed to be stuck at an impasse. She was in a similar position as Charizard where she didn't necessarily cared what happened to the kid but rather she worried about the newly formed relationship between the two gangs. A fight between two separate members would not bode well with the higher-ups. She looked over at the delinquent next to her, her face devoid of any emotion. "Nadir, are you that willing to break our agreement just for some random child off the street?" Ruby eyes almost like her own turned to glare at her in disbelief and rage.

"He's my brother! I'm not leaving him to fucktards like you!"

"Why you little shit!" Pikachu snapped at the insult aimed at all of them. He stepped forward with his Taser aimed at Nadir. Pit's older brother responded by holding his knife ready to block the wires as if his reflexes would be enough to protect him from the painful shocks. Yet before any of them could pull the trigger, Lucario stepped in front of them both with her arms outstretched towards them.

"That's ENOUGH!" she roared. Pikachu was on the verge of tightening his index finger to shock Nadir. However his mind registered Lucario's yell quick enough to stop himself from hurting his comrade. He lowered the Taser, much to his annoyance. Despite that Nadir still kept his knife in a ready position, as if he would lunged forward to cut Charizard down and save Pit. Lucario looked at both sides to ensure that nobody decided against her shout to attack. She exhaled silently at the knowledge that neither side would yield in this manner given how obstinate they all were. As a result they could be at this stalemate all night until Nadir finally decided to say "fuck it" and attack without restraint. Even if they outnumbered him four to one, the young man had a fearsome reputation on the streets that would inflict devastating damage on their side. She turned to look at Nadir. "…I'm going to let this slide just this once to honor our truce. Unless your…little brother is a member of your gang, he won't be so lucky next time," Lucario warned in her deep voice. The venomous thoughts he had prepared for a retort died on Nadir's tongue at those words. Yet Lucario's declaration didn't fail to incite a reaction from her fellow gang members.

"What?! After all that work we did to get him?"

"Damnit, now what am I supposed to test my Taser on?!"

"Are you fucking serious, Lucario?!"

"Yes, I am," Lucario growled at the others. They subdued their protests a bit but their annoyance was still clear. The female gangster looked back at Nadir, seeing a small light of appreciation in his eyes. Yet she knew that he obviously would not admit that he appreciated her help.

"I don't need your 'blessing', Anubis," Nadir snarked. Lucario simply shook her head slightly before turning over to Charizard. She nodded to him in a quiet command. The red man obeyed at once. He ripped the gag from Pit's sore mouth, making the boy cough out the disgusting taste futilely, before retracting his hand from Pit's wrists.

The moment his arms felt free, Pit made a break for it towards his older brother. Once he reached Nadir the boy clutched his arms around him tightly and buried his face into Nadir's shirt. The older male grimaced at the wetness soaking into his shirt at the current moment. However he didn't pull his younger brother away. He simply wrapped his own arms around Pit in a protective manner, all the while glowering at the three gangsters responsible for this. They only returned the glare without so much as an apology. Greninja still looked at Pit with that creepy stare of his, prompting Nadir to tighten his embrace around his brother.

"We better not see him in our territory again," Lucario cautioned.

"Believe me, you won't," Nadir muttered.

"Then leave now."

"Fuck. And I thought we got a nice, new toy too." Greninja sulked. Charizard gagged at his words while Nadir's head whipped up at that. The harsh mouth opened to rebuke the blue man. But a hand on his shoulder held him back.

"Shut up, Greninja." Lucario scowled. Her gang member balked at that but he listened and slinked behind the tallest gangster here. Seeing that she had temporarily tamed him, she turned back to Nadir. Her eyes finally managed to blaze slightly. "I mean it, Nadir. Leave."

"Glad to," Nadir hissed. By this time he felt that Pit had finished crying and was now hiccupping in his shirt. He carefully tried to separate himself from Pit's grasp but his little brother wouldn't let him. He had no choice but to look down at the mess of brown locks so similar to his own. He patted Pit's head as soothingly as he possibly could. "Come on, Pit. I'm taking you home," he whispered. The only response he got was a nod. That was good enough for him. He seriously wanted to get his little brother out of here as fast as possible before Greninja decided to go against Lucario's orders and try to take Pit back by force. Pit didn't belong here.

Nadir felt the burning stares from the four gangsters as he finally managed to pry Pit from him to turn him around. Even after walking a good distance away, he could hear them now arguing about Lucario's decision. Keeping the boy in front of him, Nadir began walking back with him in the direction of Link's house. All the while he wondered what the hell was going on in his little brother's mind to make him go outside, especially at night. He was well aware of the fact that Link forbade Pit from leaving the house after Pit's past accident and dissuaded him from even thinking about it through tall-tell tales. Heck, Nadir helped the man encourage his little brother to stay inside with his own life stories. Though he understood that keeping his little brother inside forever was an impossible and stupid choice on Link's part, he couldn't change the older man's mind on that. Link was firm on the issue and Nadir had no choice but to listen. Things might have been different if Nadir was the one providing but he wasn't. Nadir wasn't Pit's legal guardian; Link was. He could barely take care of himself and Lucas. How would he care for his sweet, little brother who deserved better? No, living with Link was the best option for Pit so far. Pit's older brother knew that.

He glanced over to his silent brother, who was now walking beside him. So far no words had been exchanged since Nadir told Pit that he was taking him home. Only the sounds of their feet thumping and wind whistling filled their ears. That was perfectly fine for the older of the two brothers. He wanted to ensure that he got his mind settled before scolding his brother. For a shut-in, Pit had a seriously tight grip as he clenched Nadir's hand in a death hold. The other hand clutched something yellow. The delinquent couldn't exactly make out the finer details as even the clouds denied them the light of the moon. However he believed that even with the light he wouldn't know what the original object was. Knuckles white from his clenching, Pit probably bent his toy out of shape with his tight grasp. Yet the boy showed no signs of letting it go at all.

They continued walking until they came upon Pit's neighborhood. A small flicker of recognition crossed Pit's face before disappearing at the familiar surroundings. At that moment, Nadir felt that it was the right time to start. "Don't leave the house again, understand?" he finally growled. He felt Pit jump at his voice breaking the thick silence between them. Yet his little brother still avoided eye contact. Nadir continued, "You could have gotten yourself hurt or even killed. What then? Do you think we'd be happy about that?"

"…no…" Pit responded in a defeated voice.

"Daddy Link already told you to stay inside and not go outside. You've obeyed for the last how-many years. What changed your mind this time?" Nadir looked at his younger sibling. He could see Pit's eyes flickering back and forth as if the solution would magically appear on the ground but the boy refused to answer that question. It was actually on the tip of Pit's tongue to spill the beans about how desperately he wanted to see Marth again. However the boy decided at the last minute that it would be better to keep that desire a secret as to not make things worse for himself. Nadir shook his head in irritation at Pit's silence. "As long as you don't do something like this again. You hear me, Pit?"

"Yes, Nadir," Pit said meekly.

"I already have enough shit to worry about." Pit heard his brother mutter underneath his breath. The boy shivered from the harsh tone. He had a feeling that Nadir only said that because the older male didn't think he would hear it. The last time Nadir swore in front of him, Link had a very long talk with him. He wouldn't count today since Nadir had a right to be angry and swear.

After what seemed like ages, the siblings finally reached their destination. They walked up the steps to Link's house, Pit a little behind his older brother. Nadir rapped the door hard with his knuckles. It took a second but the door quickly swung open to reveal a frantic looking Link. Pit had never seen his dad this disheveled since that one time they comforted each other to the point where Link was late for work. It took a brief moment for the signals to hit his brain and for him to realize who it was at his door. His cobalt eyes widened, the murky clouds clearing to reveal shining relief.

"Pit! Where have you been?!" The father's voice wasn't necessarily loud but the boy still flinched a bit from the volume. Link didn't seem to notice as he rushed forward to hug Pit tightly and protectively. He felt familiar, skinny arms return the hug. "I was worried something had happened to you! You're not hurt, are you?!" He leaned back to examine his son at closer quarters. At the anxious light in his father's eyes, Pit felt the tears forming again until he couldn't hold them back. With a loud sob he hugged Link again while burying his face into the man's shirt, much like how he did with Nadir. However Link didn't grimace when he felt the tears soaking into his shirt. He simply returned the embrace when he shakily reassured himself that no horrible damage other than possibly mental had been done to Pit. Nadir shoved his hands in his pockets as he slouched slightly. Although he was glad that his brother was back safe in Link's arms, the heartwarming scene of their reunion sickened him a bit.

The older brother was about to leave when he caught Link's stern eyes. The older man jerked his head in briefly, signaling that he wanted to talk. Knowing he had no choice, Nadir simply shrugged in answer and followed Link inside. The dad had picked up his son and was carrying him in. Not bothering to store away his shoes neatly, Nadir headed straight into the living room to plop down on the couch not facing the TV. He watched as Link carried Pit up the stairs. The boy's body didn't tremble with large sobs though it did twitch every now and then, signaling that he was still awake. The delinquent guessed that Link would tuck his son in before speaking with him. As a result Nadir stretched out his sore limbs and slouched comfortably in his seat. Today had been a long day for him. Coupled with the usual business transactions and the negotiation of the truce, he had to add saving Pit from an unnecessary case on his list to make for a very exhausted Nadir. He hoped that whatever Link had to say was quick because he wanted to get home soon to make sure that his own little bundle of responsibilities wasn't getting into trouble. He reassured himself that he hid the drugs well this time after a slight moment of doubt.

After what seemed like ages to him, he heard Link's footsteps downstairs. Nadir simply raised an eyebrow when Link went past him into the kitchen. Then he understood when he heard the clip of a phone and a muted voice. He guessed that the father had been so frantic that he had called the police to help. Now the man had to let them know that his son had safely returned. This errand didn't take as long as the first much to Nadir's appreciation, and Link soon walked back into the living room. His eyes caught sight of the slouching Nadir before he himself sat on the opposite couch. He barely made himself comfortable as he leaned forward with a furious look in his eyes.

"What happened?" Link demanded. At the tone of command, Nadir gave a slight grunt and pulled himself up. Link felt his patience wearing thin with the young man's slow actions. "Well?" he growled.

"Hold your horses, Daddy Link. If you think Pit got hurt in any way, he didn't. I managed to get him out of there before they did any real damage to him."

"Where did he go?" Link's mouth curled in distaste at the familiar nickname, yet he knew he couldn't do anything about it. He already tried in the past but Nadir still mockingly called him that. Nadir noticed the gesture and guessed rightly what had caused it. A smirk was about to form but he dropped it in favor of their serious discussion.

"That's not important since he's never stepping a foot back in that place. What's important is why he was outside in the first place? I thought you said you won't let him go outside ever."

"I don't, but he must have snuck out when I left for work." Link ran his hands through his hair in an obvious sign of distress and anger. He exhaled deeply to keep his calm about him but that was growing increasingly difficult for him these past few days. "It's all that damn kid's fault…"

"That 'Marth' guy that Pit always talks so excitedly about?" Nadir growled. "I thought you already took care of him."

"I did. He's not taking a step near Pit ever again. But Pit must have still believed in his stories. If I had to guess, Pit was probably trying to look for him."

"Tch. So much for your hard work," the gangster mocked. Link glowered at him. Even at the best of times, Pit's older brother still managed to find the time to torment him. Like anybody who knew that the sweet, lovable Pit was related to this douche, Link wondered how this sibling relationship was even possible with their opposite experiences of the personality scale. His thoughts reverted back to the black doppelganger in front him as Nadir continued, "At least this would work out in our favor. Pit already saw firsthand what you told him about. There's no way he's going to want to go outside again after this traumatic experience." Nadir smiled in satisfaction.

Link took into account what he just said and began to nod slowly in agreement. If what Nadir said was true, then Link shouldn't have to worry too much about Pit going outside again. What the boy experienced simply solidified what his father had been telling him all this time. At the same time, it would also discredit Marth in Pit's mind whether he wanted it to or not. Perhaps he should have done this sooner to discourage Pit further. However Link's fear of Pit's accident repeating was probably what stopped him from doing so. That was one of the original reasons why he refused to let his son from going outside after all.

"Yes, I suppose so…" Link finally said after sitting in thought. A strange rustling prompted him to refocus his attention on Nadir. The delinquent now held three packs of cigarettes. Once he saw that he had Link's attention, Nadir threw the packs over. Link expertly caught them and checked to ensure that all of them had the promised number of cancer sticks.

The gangster chuckled at that sight. "You know I don't smoke, Daddy Link." Link looked up with his stare unwavering. The revulsion was obvious in his eyes.

"I know," he replied as he continued to count. Once he reached the guaranteed number, he took one out and lit it. Nadir took this as a signal that the conversation was finally over. He was extremely glad for that as he could now finally go home. He stood up with a soft grunt and began taking his leave. But first…Nadir headed into the kitchen where he knew Link kept his wallet. When he returned he had a handful of bills spread out like an aromatic fan. The older man broke his stare from outer space to look at the amount Nadir took. Seeing that it was the right amount, Link went back to smoking. He trusted the young man enough to allow him that, and Nadir reciprocated it. However the delinquent felt that he had to renew that trust in light of what transpired tonight. After all, the only reason why he owed loyalty to this man was because of Pit.

"I better not see my little brother in danger again. You promised that he'll be safe here, and I fully expect that."

Link looked up again, this time to glare at the young man standing near the exit of the house. He inhaled the smoke of his cigar deeply before taking it out of his mouth. "Trust me. This is going to be the last time Pit steps foot outside."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. So...yeah. All the Pokémon characters are in the Pokémon gang. It's actually a small reference to one of my other stories on FF.net called "Cataclysm". Of course, they're a bit more profane in this story than the other for some reason...but anyways, I looked up random pictures of that certain Pokémon gijinka and used those as reference. Hoped you guys liked them, even if I couldn't think of better names for them :P Who managed to guess who they were based on their appearance (which should have been pretty easy, if you ask me...)?
> 
> 2\. I never knew you had to capitalize Taser until I wrote this chapter...that's right, right? 'Cause Word red-squiggles it if the "t" isn't in caps.
> 
> 3\. And why is Lucario a female when in the Pokémon universe there is only a 12.5% of it actually being a female AND it has an extremely deep voice in Smash? Haha! That's for me to know and you to find out! Adds spice and something different to the story. And a hint to a future pairing...maybe...
> 
> Anyways, see you guys next time. Hopefully I won't take as long, but you guys know me by now, maybe! So cheers.


	11. In the Midst of Ashes

Another moment of déjà vu struck Marth as he stood just outside the house that he spent so much of his time in. It was almost as if he was repeating his initial actions concerning a mysterious bubble blower. Only this time he knew everything. The several days of Marth's absence from that house went by as an incoherent blur in the college student's mind. He could barely remember what had happened this morning, let alone the possible months that had passed. The only event marked important in his mind was that summer had already approached. Now that he was free from both his college and job (which he had quit in depression), Marth could wrestle with ideas on how to return to his former lifestyle with Pit.

For the umpteenth time of that day, Marth worried for Pit's wellbeing. He always wondered about it whenever he stood underneath the boy's bedroom window. He never made his presence known, even when he saw Pit blowing his bubbles, no matter how much his heart screamed at him to. Marth always kept in the shadows and futilely satisfied his desires with glimpses of his beloved's buubles. Yet in recent times, even that became difficult. At one point Pit just stopped. The bubble-blowing just stopped. And that set alarm bells ringing in Marth's head. He had to resist the terrible urge to break into the house, find the boy, and ask him what was wrong because indeed something had gone wrong. The college student kept returning, hoping against hope, that Pit was fine. But the lack of bubbles every evening only caused Marth's anxiety to increase. Thank goodness school was over. This would have affected his grades greatly. He could never seem to stop that dreadful question from bouncing around his head all day: what was the horrible thing that happened to Pit?

While he contemplated, Marth's mind barely registered the sound of rapid footsteps coming from the side. If he had been paying more attention to his surroundings, he may have heard the calm footsteps stop in surprise before rushing at the hurried pace they were now. It was only until the stranger got much closer to him did he notice their presence. However Marth continued to ignore them in favor of watching the second-story window. He didn't care who saw him standing outside of the house. Even if the stranger called out to him, he would have prtended to be oblivious of their presence. Unfortunately, when the low, familiar voice spoke, Marth whirled around, his usual deadpan face showing some of his astonishment and apprehension.

"What are you doing here, Marth?" The bitter venom in Link's voice was obvious. As ever, a cigarette dangled from the older man's mouth as he glared at the college student. Judging from his rumpled clothes and baggy eyes, Marth could rightly guess that the father had a long day at work despite coming home early at this hour. He had always made sure to leave before Link returned. Although he longed to relax his tired muscles and exhausted mind, the appearance of the blunette caused the blonde to steel himself. Marth allowed the silence to stretch between them while he choose his words carefully. It was vital that he did, otherwise he could kiss the nonexistent possibility of seeing Pit again good-bye.

"I want to make amends." Marth finally decided to say.

That statement had Link raising an incredulous eyebrow. Anybody else might have squirmed from that expression but not Marth. He kept his gaze steady, his expression constant. Again the long silence tensed between them, this time caused by Link's assessment. Eventually he asked evenly, "You're apologizing for telling Pit about going outside?"

"No-."

"Then we have nothing to discuss." The father immediately closed the discussion as he turned to enter his house. An unfamiliar sensation of panic suddenly assaulted Marth. He found breathing difficult with his precipitously constricted chest, but he knew how to stop it, at least for a small amount. The college student shot out and grabbed Link's arm desperately. The older man turned with a dark glare that Marth paid no attention to. He attempted to yank his arm away, but surprisingly the blunette held on with an iron grasp. Marth was definitely stronger than his skinny arms gave him credit for.

"Wait! Please let me see Pit!"

Link's expression darkened even further at Marth's stubbornness. In the back of his mind, he cursed his past self for asking the younger man a favor and giving in to his request of allowing him to see Pit again. If Link had gone with his initial gut instinct, then he wouldn't have to deal with this problem. Unfortunately now he could see the long-term consequences of his weakness: Marth's persistence, Pit's corruption, and his deterioration. The familiar pangs of regret bit him this time in contrast to the past gnawing. He jerked his arm again. Marth's grip didn't loosen one bit.

"Let go!"

"Then let me see Pit!"

"For the last time, you will not see my son! You've done enough damage already!"

"What happened to Pit?! I know something happened! What is it?!"

The older man stopped yanking. His furious eyes couldn't help but widen at the strange remark. "How did you-?" the words were spoken before Link could recall them. Marth stared right into Link's eyes.

"I'm whimsical, not stupid. Pit stopped blowing bubbles. His window's always closed now. I know something happened," Marth repeated. At those words, now Link's eyes narrowed. He should have known that the blunette's obstinacy would convince him to constantly stop by the house in possible hopes of being welcomed again. There was absolutely no way Marth could know about Pit suddenly stopping his bubble blowing unless he visited the neighborhood multiple times. Knowing the college student, Link wouldn't put it past him to come back every day. However, no matter how many times Marth returned, he would never be allowed into the house again. Link had promised himself that. "Please…tell me what happened."

The older man quickly took advantage of the storm calming to jerk his arm free. After a moment's temptation to tighten his grip again, Marth finally let Link's arm go. Link swiftly debated whether he should tell Marth the truth, and he went with his gut this time. "…If you must know, it's all your fault."

"What?" Marth couldn't believe his ears. Although he had expected Link to say something of that sort, it was still a bit disconcerting to hear it out in the open. The father nodded firmly.

"Because of you, Pit snuck out one night. Alone. I don't know what he was thinking, but he probably thought he could handle it because of the lies you told him."

"No…" Face drained of color, Marth shook his head, wishing he could deny it. "Pit wouldn't…he wouldn't do something like that…"

"Unfortunately he did. We were lucky that his brother got to him in time before they did something to him. Otherwise…" For a moment, the cold anger in Link's voice held a completely different emotion than any Marth had seen the father express. Marth searched his mind for it and realized in surprise that it was fear. With that single word, he understood that Link could imagine all the horrors he warned Pit coming true.

Yet what Marth didn't understand was why Pit went out alone. He remembered that the boy could barely stick his head out the window without shaking all over. During those moments he had to pull Pit into a hug to comfort him. How did his beloved find the courage to do something as drastic as actually venturing from his home? And alone at night at that? Whatever the inspiration, the college student then grasped the severity of Pit's situation. If what Link said was true, then something horrifying had happened to his son. Something that would scar him forever. Marth could only imagine how petrified Pit must have been. And it must have been ten times worse for the boy, only hearing stories of the fabled outside world, to experience what his father had warned him about. That single event would have cemented Link's claims and voided Marth's reassurances.

A cold hand choked Marth's heart. Although he attempted to tell himself it wasn't true, he couldn't help but feel that he really was at fault. After all, Marth did reassure Pit that he would be fine if he stepped outside. Now he had no doubt that this one event completely shattered Pit's trust in him. The college student didn't even factor in the possibility of Pit forgiving him as he couldn't forgive himself for indirectly putting his beloved in that horrid situation. Maybe…maybe Pit didn't want to see him anymore. That thought rocked Marth at his core, his trembling shoulders a testimony to the conflict in his mind. A stern voice soon brought Marth back to the present, and he struggled against his emotions to pay attention to what Link was saying next.

"So this is my last warning, Marth. I don't want to see you here ever again. If I do, I won't hesitate to call the police."

Marth's eyes widened, the slight fearful light in them growing to send his heart into another panic. Even though he already told himself that he shouldn't even _see_ Pit right now, his aching heart told his guilty mind to shut up. He just had to see his beloved again. Wasn't that the main reason why he stood in the same spot every day, looking up to the second-story window? It was never his intention to make things up with Link. Marth only wanted to see Pit again. He wanted to talk to him again, play with him, tell him stories, kiss him, hug him, comfort him…Pit was the thing that was keeping Marth going. If he lost his reason to live now…if he couldn't see Pit ever again…"W-wait!" Marth held out his hand in pleading just as Link finished unlocking the front door. "Just let me see Pit one more time!"

Link's anger flared once again. He shoved his keys into his pocket as he glowered at Marth. "For the last time, no! You will not see my son ever again! And he will not see you either!"

"Please! Just let me-!" Marth stepped forward to grab Link's arm again. But the older man was ready this time. He swatted the hand away while swiftly opening his door. Without giving the college student a chance to recover, Link hurried into his house and slammed the door. The door lock clicking in place stopped Marth's blood cold.

The young man recovered in a millisecond to throw himself on the door in desperation, fists clenching tightly. "Link, let me see Pit! Let me see him! Please! I'm begging you! I need to see him again!" Marth continued yelling those words until they sounded like nothing to him. His stinging hands almost stained the door red with his pounding. When he finally realized through his hazy cloud that Link wouldn't budge, Marth hastily stumbled down the stairs towards the street. A good distance away had him turning to face the house again. This time though, he was in a prime location for Pit to see him from his bedroom window if the boy would just move to it. Marth cupped his hands around his mouth to project his strained voice:

"Pit! Please! I know you're there! Please talk to me!" He didn't care if he was making a ruckus.

"I need to see you again!" He cared about Pit.

"Please! Please talk to me!" He needed to see, hear his beloved again.

"Say something! Anything!" Even if Pit said that he hated him, Marth would have been satisfied because _he talked to him._

"Pit!" His voice started to sound strange to him.

"Please! I'm begging you, Pit!" It must be sounding strange to Pit as well.

"Please tell me you're okay!" But Marth didn't care.

"I'm sorry, Pit!" He had to do this.

"So, so sorry!" He had to see Pit.

"Pit! Please!" Please, just let him see.

"Please…talk…" His shouts finally dropped into a whisper, his scratchy throat no longer able to support his desired volume.

"Please, Pit…" The tears finally broke free and streamed down his cheeks. His legs suddenly weak, Marth sank to his knees. He fell forward with only his hands to support him. Even then, he kept whispering those same words over and over. His shoulders trembled as his voice shook with emotion. Nobody could possibly hear him now with his head pressed against the ground.

Yet Pit heard every word despite his hands covering his ears, and his shoulders trembled from his own sobs.

…

Marth had no idea how he wounded back at his apartment. Everything from him collapsing to the ground to him waking up in bed was just a blur in his mind. Not like the events in between really matter. The broken pieces he called a heart ached when he remembered how he had failed in seeing Pit yesterday. He covered his eyes with his arm as an influx of emotions suddenly threatened him with more tears. It was a new but welcoming sensation for him, the barrage of emotions. It reminded him that he was an actual human being, not the robot so many other people thought of him as. A living human being who needed to feel the sensations of love and being loved with his soulmate. A soulmate now out of his reach because he placed that person's happiness and wellbeing over his own.

He barely reacted when Lucina knocked on his door. Receiving no answer, she carefully creaked the door open. "Marth? Are you all right?" Lucina expected some silence before her cousin answered. She started in surprise when she heard a defeated voice say:

"No. I'm not all right."

Lucina took that as the okay cue to open the door wider. She treaded quietly inside and sat at the edge of Marth's bed. Even the sagging of the bed didn't move Marth. He kept his arm over his eyes to prevent his cousin from easily reading him. While it would have been difficult to do so in the past even with his eyes visible, Marth's recent experiences had him show his emotions more and more. While he welcomed it, he felt so vulnerable displaying his thoughts so easily. Was this how Pit felt when he went outside for the first time? This vulnerability? No, it was definitely worse. Terror, distress, remorse. The poor boy must have felt those as well.

Marth still didn't react when he felt somebody place a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. Lucina gently rubbed it in a feeble effort to comfort him. She opted to keep quiet for the time being, letting the silence blanket them. Patience ran deep in the Lowell family.

"…You should talk about it with your friends," Lucina finally said after she deemed the stillness long enough. Marth didn't answer. The lump in his throat and ache in his chest stopped him from doing so. He allowed his cousin to lift his arm off his eyes, revealing their bloodshot state from his mute crying. Lucina stared at him solemnly as she recognized the turmoil of emotions in his eyes. New tears were starting to form. She continued, "It's never good to keep these kinds of things to yourself, Marth. It's only going to build up and result in huge consequences you regret. You need to get this off your chest."

Still no answer.

"Come on," Lucina gently said as she pulled him up. With her help, Marth finally sat up. However he only stared at his legs with only Pit still vivid in his mind. At more of Lucina's tender urgings, he finally stood from the bed. His cousin helped steady him when a headache caused him to see dark stars. "Come on," she repeated as she led him out the door. Marth followed quietly and obediently. They walked towards the Warpcoin at a comfortable pace, not too fast, not too slow. Despite having no word exchanges, the two cousins arrived at the university's Warpcoin relatively quickly as both were preoccupied with their own worries. Lucina looked around the outside tables anxiously before breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of their friends. As they got closer, Meta, the first person to see them, stood up with only his eyes wrinkling as a sign of his smile. The masked student's movement attracted the others' attention and they looked as well. Roy even gave them a wave in greeting.

"Hey, Marth, Lucina!"

Lucina smiled and returned the wave. However Marth continued to stare blankly ahead. Meta's cheerful light and smile quickly disappeared when he noticed Marth's state. Once they arrived at the table, he voiced his concerns, "Marth, Lucina, is everything all right?" Marth's cousin bit her lip slightly as she looked at Marth. Said person only avoided looking at his friends by staring at the tabletop.

"…no," Lucina finally answered in a dejected tone.

The jovial atmosphere that initially graced the table evaporated immediately to reflect Marth's depressed air. Meta gestured to the two free chairs. He frowned slightly when he saw how Lucina had to direct Marth to sit in the chair before she herself sat down. The masked student then sat down, sharing the same question as everybody else in his mind. Ike was the one who asked said question as he eyed Marth anxiously.

"Hey, dude. What's wrong?"

The only response he got was a shake of the head. Seeing how Marth was in no state of answering anything, Ike turned to Lucina. The young woman bit her lip again when all the attention was turned to her. Her friends patiently waited while she gathered her thoughts on the past events. Finally she exhaled in defeat:

"I don't know myself. Marth came home crying last night. When I tried to talk to him, he completely shut me out of his room. It's a miracle that I even managed to get him to come out here today. I was hoping he would feel better talking about it with all of us."

"I see…but is this place even appropriate for us to discuss whatever issues Marth might be having now?" Zelda asked. "Should we go somewhere more private?"

Lucina opened her mouth to speak but Marth beat her to it. He quickly shook his head, signaling that he didn't want to move again. It was as if he had gathered only enough energy to walk this far. Zelda frowned at that.

"Are you certain you're fine talking about it here?"

A pause. Then a nod.

"If you say so."

"So can you tell us what's going on, man?" Roy asked. "Honestly, it's scaring us that you're acting like this. We can only imagine what could have caused you to…well, lose your self." Something about that statement sparked something in Marth. He finally looked up to register all the anxious expressions on his friends' faces. Once he saw that they got the blunette's attention, Meta nodded in agreement.

"Marth, I think you've kept quiet long enough. As your oldest friends we deserve to know what is going on. We're all very worried about you."

Roy grinned as he jerked a thumb towards Zelda. "Even Zelda, and she barely knows you."

"Roy, there is a time and place for everything. Joking time is not now," Lucina hissed. The redhead held up his hands in defense, a sheepish smile on his face.

"Sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean to sound insensitive."

Despite his depression, Marth couldn't help but smile slightly at the banter between his friends. The more he thought about the little exchange, the harder it was to keep in the slight chuckle. Finally he allowed it to slip. That small action lifted the mood up just a bit around the table. Ike leaned forward and slapped Marth on the back encouragingly, earning a surprised grunt in return.

"There we go! Much better!"

"See? No harm done!" Roy said, trying to placate Lucina about the situation. Marth's cousin remained serious and scowled at the young man, earning a sigh from him. Meta raised an eyebrow, his mask thankful hiding the small smile he had. It soon disappeared to his usual serious expression. They still had an important issue to resolve. He turned his attention back to Marth.

"Indeed. But Marth, we really mean it. Could you please tell us what happened?"

At the question, Marth stared at him. He felt his other friends eying him curiously as well. His heart swelled in gratitude of having friends like these. Pit was right about his friends caring a lot about his wellbeing. He couldn't ask for better friends than the people sitting here. The blunette closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Unconsciously everybody leaned in to ensure that they didn't miss anything. Marth exhaled, opened his eyes, and looked at the table. He couldn't help it. For some reason he couldn't hold his friends' gazes when explaining his situation. Almost like he felt ashamed about the whole ordeal. A lump in his throat almost prevented him from saying:

"I…Pit's father, Link, forbid me from visiting them ever again. I'm not allowed to see Pit again." Marth had to bit his lip to stop the rush of emotions threatening to embarrass him. A brief stunned silence befell the table. Then Ike held his hands in the air.

"Wait, wait, wait. Back up a bit there…Pit's old man isn't letting you visit again? Like…ever?"

Marth nodded.

"Why?"

"Yeah, what did you do that caused that drastic action?" Roy asked. The college student hesitated in his answer. The reason Link gave was that Marth encouraged Pit to go outside and it was his fault that Pit might have been hurt. However, Marth couldn't help but feel that there might have been more to it than that. The father was afraid of something else, some other influence that Marth had over his son. His mind raced for the answer. He attempted to remember everything he learned while in that house. Then it clicked. Marth suddenly knew the reason why. Now that he thought about it, it seemed so painfully obvious. Link's actions, Pit's gestures, put them together to form that conclusion, it all made sense. To anybody else, however, his deduction would have been one of the craziest jumps. But Marth knew that was the real, _true_ reason why.

"Marth?" Lucina prompted when the silence stretched for too long. The young man took a deep breath. Now that he was about to reveal his secret to his friends, he couldn't help but fear how they would take it. They were his friends, sure, but what he was about to say could very well change their view of him. Possibly to a more negative point of view. Still, he had to commit. Marth had to believe that his friends would be there for him.

"…I fell in love." He looked up slightly to see their reactions. Just as he expected, his friends recoiled back in surprise and shock. It was almost comical, in way. Marth noted with interest that while Ike, Roy, and Lucina held the most shock, Zelda was only a little less surprised than them and Meta didn't seem to react at all. It was almost as if those two had already predicted that this would happen at the beginning. Marth wouldn't have put it past them in all honesty.

"Wait, you what?!" Ike shouted, the surprise crystal clear in his voice.

"Did I just hear that right?" Zelda asked mildly despite guessing the answer already.

"With who?!" Roy demanded, his eyes narrowed at his best friend.

"Marth, why didn't you tell me this?! I'm your cousin!" Lucina actually sounded a bit hurt that she wasn't informed of this beforehand.

Meta simply nodded. "You fell in love with Pit, didn't you?"

"Yes. I fell in love with him. I couldn't help it." The whole table seemed to sit back as one as they attempted to process this new information. Lucina ran a hand through her long hair, her shaking head and shocked expression still clearly showing how overwhelmed she felt about the truth.

"Of all things…I…I wasn't expecting tha-."

"That's disgusting."

That statement stopped everybody cold. Marth's heart dropped when he saw his best friend look at him with such hatred and anger so uncommon on the normally cheerful redhead's face. It would be a lie for Marth to say that he never saw Roy angry. He fit in that stereotypical trait of most redheads. However the blunette instinctively knew that this was no mere fury on his friend's part. If they had been a cartoon, Roy's face would have matched his hair's shade and steam would have blown from his ears. Funny in fiction, not funny in reality.

"Roy-," he started before getting interrupted by said friend.

"That's disgusting! That's so damn disgusting!" Roy stood up in a frenzy. His violent movement startled both his friends and chair. The black seat teetered backwards for the briefest moment before fortunately landing back on its legs. Even if it had fell with a resounding crash, everybody would have paid it as much as attention they were now. "I can't believe my best friend likes a guy! And a kid at that!" He could care less about making a scene. He was too busy glaring at his former best friend to notice the people around him whispering about what could possibly be happening at that particular table that merited this shouting.

Meta also stood up. He placed a placating glove on the redhead's shoulder. "Roy, calm down! I'm sure there's an ex-." He didn't get any further than that as Roy angrily slapped his hand away. Topaz eyes widened in brief surprise before they narrowed in momentary irritation with a confused light.

"There is nothing to explain! I can't believe I'm friends with a homosexual! You're disgusting," Roy bitterly spat at Marth. The college student yanked his backpack from the ground and prepared to leave. Again, panic filled Marth. Already he lost Pit. He couldn't stand at the moment to lose Roy as well. His brain not working, the student rose and attempted to grab his friend's arm.

"Roy, w-wait!" He succeeded in grabbing but Roy quickly yanked his arm away before Marth's unbelievable iron grip took hold. Marth flinched, actually flinched, at the repulsed glare Roy gave him.

"Don't touch me! Damn homosexual…" Roy stormed off without a second glance behind him. Strangers looked from the college student to his friend to gauge their reactions. However they quickly turned away to mind their own business when they caught the ominous glares coming from almost the entire group, save for one. It was scary enough to have a heavily-muscled young man glaring at you, but the masked student was even worse in that it was difficult to read his expression. It didn't help when the two young women also discouraged onlookers with their own scowls.

Marth moved to follow after his best friend. However a firm hand on his arm stopped him. He looked back in confusion to see Meta's calm eyes. The masked student gestured back towards his seat. "I'll go talk to him. You're the last person he would want to see right now." Marth opened his mouth to protest. However the steely look in Meta's eyes stopped him from doing so. Besides, his logic said to him, his friend had an excellent point. Roy couldn't even stand the sight of Marth at the moment. Meta had a better chance of talking with their hot-tempered friend. Him chasing after Roy would only make things worse. Despite his desire to quickly make amends with Roy, Marth nodded numbly. Meta patted the blunette's arm reassuringly. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll bring Roy back."

The group of four watched their fifth member leave to chase after the sixth. Marth continued to stand with his eyes trained on Meta's back until the crowd swallowed the short student up. It was only then did he ease himself back into his seat. However Roy's words and glare took hold of all his thoughts, reminding him of what he was. Marth wasn't sure he would classify himself as a homosexual, but he did know that he loved Pit and only Pit. Age wasn't a problem either as at most four years separated them. Still, Roy's hurtful reaction made him wonder what his other friends truly thought of him. If it had been any other day, it mightn't have bothered the college student so much. However the past few days have been a roller coaster of emotions for him.

"Hey…" His friends and cousin looked at him immediately yet he didn't meet their gazes. "Do…do you think I'm disgusting? For falling in love with a younger man?"

"Of course not!" Lucina quickly reassured her cousin with pats on the back. "There's nothing wrong with that! Isn't that right, guys?" Zelda nodded.

"I completely agree. It's natural to fall in love with somebody you spend a lot of time with. It might be a bit unconventional, I admit, considering you're both males, but that shouldn't stop you at all, Marth."

Marth couldn't help but smile at them. For some reason, he knew that the girls would be supportive of his love for Pit. Judging from Meta's reaction earlier, it seemed as though the masked student also tolerated it, if not approved of it. Yet the smile faded when he realized that Ike hadn't added his input yet. The young man scratched the back of his head sheepishly while he thought about his answer. That small action made Marth's heart skip a beat in fear. His voice trembled slightly when he asked after a pause:

"…Ike?"

Said friend jumped a bit when he heard his name. "Well…"

"Ike, don't tell me…" Zelda looked at her boyfriend with worried eyes. Ike scratched his head one last time before sighing. He looked right at Marth.

"In all honesty…I am a bit weirded out by it. I never thought one of my friends could be gay nor did I expect them to like a little kid," Ike said. Marth drew breath to correct Ike that Pit was, in fact, around seventeen to eighteen years old. But the bigger student quickly continued, "But I think I understand where you're coming from, Marth. If I wasn't in a relationship with Zelda, I probably wouldn't have understood. If you love somebody…well…that's all there is to it. It can make you do crazy things. And if they love you back, then that's even better." Here, Ike couldn't help but grin at his girlfriend. Zelda happily responded with a quick peck on his cheek. Ike's grin only widened from that. He turned his attention back to Marth with a "see?" expression. The muscular blunette then shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "So, no. I don't think you're disgusting. It's fine if you like the little tyke, so long as he likes you back, I suppose."

Marth felt his heart swell again at the support of his friends, so much so that he had to wipe his eyes clear of a couple of tears. He knew how fortunate he was to have friends like this. Well…most of his friends. Marth wondered whether Roy would be able to look past his relationship and continue to be friends with him. He certainly hoped so as Roy was his oldest friend. Sure, he moved away for a couple of years, but when he came back and found out that they went to the same high school, he quickly sought Marth out to rebuild their old friendship. That was loyalty for you.

As if she sensed his thoughts concerning Roy, Lucina put her hand over his. The college student looked at her to see a reassuring smile. "I'm sure Meta would be able to talk Roy."

"…yeah, me too…" The blunette nodded.

"Marth." The tone in Zelda's voice prompted the blunette to look at her. Seeing as she got his attention, Zelda continued, "If Pit's father forbid you from seeing him again, how are you going to get past that?"

"I…I don't know."

"I'm guessing you can't make amends with Pit's father, can you?" Lucina asked. Her cousin nodded in confirmation. A slightly bitter taste tainted his mouth when he remembered how his meeting with Link went yesterday.

"Have you tried calling Pit?" Marth shook his head in answer to Zelda's question.

"That's not possible either." When his friends gave him an inquiring look, the young man waved the unspoken question away. It didn't look like Marth was going to offer an explanation for that anytime soon, so they could only surmise that either Marth didn't have Pit's phone number, Pit didn't have a cell phone, or Link was monitoring the calls they were getting. Ike crossed his arms in thought.

"Could you break in?"

"Ike! This is serious!"

"I am being serious!"

"Oh my goddesses…" Zelda muttered to herself as she rubbed her temples jokingly at Ike's stupid suggestion.

"Pit's room is on the second floor. It would be a bit difficult for me to break in. Besides…I want to see him, not scare him." For a moment, Marth contemplated whether he should tell his friends about Pit's fear of going outside. He quickly decided to tell them some other time. They already had enough to deal with today with the addition of his own problems.

"Wait, just to be clear…Pit's old man is angry that you fell in love with the kid?" Ike asked. Marth nodded before completely registering Ike's question. Despite that, he continued to nod. There was a hazy idea just floating beyond his reach. Every time he attempted to grasp it, it always fluttered a few centimeters away. It was starting to be infuriating as he instinctively knew that that idea was the answer. "And he's not letting you come near Pit." Again, Marth nodded.

"Hmm…I suppose you could do it the old-fashion way of asking somebody-." Before Lucina even finished her sentence, Marth leapt from his seat, surprising his friends with his sudden movement. He finally grasped the idea that had been eluding him all this time. One of Lucina's words triggered it. Marth wasn't certain which one, but that didn't matter now that he had his plan.

"That's it!" he cried loudly as he stood up. The abrupt action surprised his friends.

"What's it?" Lucina asked after she quickly got over her shock.

"I'm going to ask Nadir to deliver a message to Pit." The unfamiliar word had everybody frowning in an attempt to remember where they heard that name before. Zelda's eyes widened in surprise when she recognized the identity of the name first.

"Wait, wait, wait. Back it up a little, Marth. Wasn't he the one who told you to _stop_ seeing his little brother?"

"Yes." Once the blunette confirmed it, Ike and Lucina both expressed the same look of surprise. Marth's friends cringed inwardly when they remembered the first time they "met" Nadir. To say it was uncomfortable was an understatement. It was downright painful and excruciating to recall and mentally experience again. They actually stopped using a certain curse word for a few days after because of that "meeting".

Zelda shook her head at Marth's response. "Then what makes you so sure he's going to grant your request?"

"I'm not. But I still have to try."

"Dude, do you even know the guy personally?" Ike asked with a strange, slight hope that his friend didn't. Nadir was already suspicious in his book to begin with when Robin first approached them about the stranger wanting to give Marth the message.

"No, but I know who does." As Marth said that, he pointed over to a specific table. His friends followed his direction to see the lone albino sitting at his usual spot. Robin's mouth said inaudible words considering the distance between the tables. When his friends looked back, they were surprised to see Marth already walking towards Robin. They quickly hurried after him to arrive at the gamer's spot. Unlike the first time when the college student went to ask about Pit's identity, this time Marth made sure that his presence was known immediately. He leaned forward, the movement catching Robin's attention. Marth wasted no time making his objective clear once his eyes met Robin's. He didn't even care that the gamer might not hear due to his headphones. "Take me to see Nadir."

It took a second for Robin register what just happened as people rarely went up to him out of the blue. He saw Marth's lips move, but he obviously heard nothing. The student took off his headphones. The moment he did, Marth said once again:

"Take me to see Nadir."

"Wait, what?"

"Take me to see Nadir."

"…Hang on, Shulk. I've got to deal with something here," Robin said into his mic before flicking it down and clicking something on his laptop. Once he got that out of the way, he looked back at the strange student. "Why the hell do you want to see Nadir?"

"I need to talk to him." There was a pause. It didn't look like Marth was going to say anything else, so Robin ventured a guess.

"…Does it have something to do with Pit?"

"Yes."

Upon hearing that answer, Robin sighed and shook his head. He knew it. That was the only thing connecting Marth to Nadir because he was quite certain that the blunette didn't do drugs. At least, it looked like that on the surface. "Trust me. You do _not_ want to see Nadir. You're practically on his blacklist and it takes a lot to get you off of it," the albino warned.

"See, Marth? The guy already hates you. This isn't going to work," Ike protested. However both statements fell on deaf ears. Marth unwaveringly looked right into Robin's eyes. The college student repeated:

"Take me to see Nadir."

"…You're not going to let up until I do, aren't you?"

"Yes."

Robin exhaled an irritated breath. He scratched his head in frustration, muttering something about being the messenger for the stupidest things. While he wished that he didn't have to do this, he knew that Marth would simply stand there and wait and stare at him with his deadpan eyes. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on his things at all nor would he be comfortable with somebody tuning in on his conversations. There was only one way to get Marth off his back. "Fine, I'll take you to see Nadir. But I can't guarantee that he'll talk to you," he cautioned.

Marth only nodded. That was absolutely fine with him. He didn't expect Robin to help him convince Nadir. It would have to be by his own hand. He and his friends watched as the albino packed up his things. Occasionally, Robin's train of thought caused him to shake his head and mutter darkly. When he finally hoisted his bag over his shoulders, he gestured to Marth to follow. However he quickly held out a hand to stop when he saw the whole group moving as one. "Only Marth."

"Do you think we're crazy enough to leave Marth alone with a guy who hates his guts?" Ike asked, the anger clear in his voice. Zelda placed a hand on his shoulder. When he looked at her, her stern eyes helped calm him down. Robin waited until Ike looked at him again.

"No, but the less people, the better. Besides I'm going to be there."

Ike had the good sense to not voice his doubts about Robin's ability to stop Nadir should the brother attack his friend. Robin could still read the thought on the taller student's face though, and he felt a twinge of annoyance. Once he was sure he calmed down enough to be a bit rational, Ike said, "I'm still not happy about leaving Marth alone."

"Is it fine if only I come with then?" Lucina asked. "Another person wouldn't be too much." Robin pondered about that for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, I think that should be fine as long as both of you are careful."

Lucina couldn't help but frown at that curious statement. Although she wasn't too worried considering how she took kendo with Marth since she was young, both she and Marth were still treading into unknown area. That was more than enough to keep her guard up and be suspicious. After all, so far she hadn't heard about anybody dying from being too careful. "What do you mean by that?"

"You'll see. Just let me do all the talking," Robin said as a slight explanation. Marth shrugged, and the albino could only take that as an agreement.

"Still not happy."

"Ike, if this is the only way, then we have to let be," Zelda said. Her boyfriend looked at her again, his stubborn eyes meeting her stern ones. After a silent moment of telepathic exchange that only couples seemed to possess, he finally sighed in defeat as he scratched the back of his head.

"Fine. But if anything bad happens-."

"Nothing will," Marth said firmly. "We'll be careful." He looked at Lucina to nod in confirmation. Then he turned his attention back towards Ike and Zelda and inclined his head slightly. "We'll be seeing you then. Thank you…for everything."

Ike quickly waved Marth's gratitude away. "Hey, don't worry about it. That's what friends are for."

"Indeed. Remember, Marth, you can always turn to us whenever you're in need. You two be careful now." Zelda smiled.

"We will," Lucina said. Both she and Marth waved good-bye to their friends as they finally took their leave. The group of three watched until they couldn't see the couple anymore. Then Lucina sighed. "You're lucky to have such good friends, huh, Marth?" she said with a smile. Marth looked at her sharply, noting a strange undertone. He also noticed a strange light in her eyes. It seemed to be nostalgia along with something else. Was it…sorrow? He wondered what could have possibly caused that relatively common mixture of emotions. The blunette opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when Robin's voice quickly cut in.

"Well come on then. We don't have all day," he said impatiently. The gamer began walking, prompting the two cousins to follow after him. Marth made a mental note to ask Lucina later why she seemed a bit sad when mentioning his friends. He could only guess what happened to cause her to act like that.

But for now, the college student turned his worries towards the upcoming meeting. He already knew that it would be close to impossible to ask Nadir a favor concerning his younger brother, especially when it seemed as though he was against Marth's visits in the first place. Still, he knew he had to try. Not only for his sake, but for Pit's as well. Hopefully he would be able to appeal to Nadir's better nature as he knew instinctively that the brother cared very much about Pit. Perhaps the older brother might prove to listen to reason a bit better than his father. It was possible, the blunette told himself. Judging from his dialogue from the awkward phone call though, Marth knew even that hope was far-fetched. Despite Pit's claims of his brother being nice, the phone conversation reaffirmed Marth of Nadir's delinquent status. No wonder why Robin warned them to be careful. If Nadir was a loose cannon on the phone, just imagine him in person.

Still, Marth had to try. He couldn't, wouldn't live with himself if he left things as they were with Pit. If he couldn't talk to his beloved in person, the least he could do was apologize to him one way or another. Even if he wouldn't forgive himself for indirectly putting Pit through whatever hell he experienced, perhaps hearing a possible forgiveness from the boy would ease the guilt just a bit. Just a bit. Or not get a reply in return. So long as Pit got Marth's message, he would be fine with that.

Or so he attempted to tell himself. But Marth knew better. The college student couldn't stand not being able to see Pit. Marth had to see him. He had to be with him. He had to hug him. He had to hold him. He had to comfort him. He had to kiss him. He had to… _everything_.

Marth unconsciously vowed to himself that he would meet his loved one again. One way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. For whoever's wondering about the time frame that this story is currently in...yeah, at this point I don't really know anymore. Apparently I made it summer already when at the beginning it was...nearing winter? So...I missed an opportunity of Marth celebrating Christmas with Pit and Link. Oh well. You guys can have all kinds of drama to make up for it.
> 
> 2\. Lucina telling Marth to talk about things is a slight reference to my story "How the Mask Breaks". The whole premise of that story is literally a person not telling their friends what wrong, which leads to unfortunate consequences.
> 
> 3\. Lucina's scolding of Roy is a parody of Professor Oak (or any Pokemon Professor) telling the player not to use their damn bike or fishing rod indoors. Because apparently you can't do wheelies inside Pokemon Centers and Pokemarts.
> 
> 4\. Hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter. Gonna go and write the other important chapter I need to write now...shit, it's going to be so long...


	12. Roy

If he had been standing, skipping rocks would have been an easier task. However he simply satisfied himself with sinking rocks while sitting at the riverbank. Anybody walking by could tell how depressed the young man was through his sagging shoulders and melancholic air. Most of the pedestrians simply took one look and left. However, one particular passerby carefully walked towards the redhead. He stopped just a meter or so away from his friend. The short, young man allowed some time to pass before he finally decided to make his presence known.

"May I join you?" Meta asked. He saw his friend jump in surprise. Roy peered over his shoulder for a brief moment before turning back to look at the river.

"Sure." He heard the sounds of the pebbles shifting behind him. From the corner of his eye he could see that the masked student lower himself down to sit next to him. Roy half-expected Meta to say more. However his friend kept silent. The redhead continued to throw his rocks into the river while the blunette contented himself with watching the clouds above. The silence surrounding them had a slightly tensed air to it. Only the plucking sound of the rock breaking through the water's surface regularly interrupted the hush with the occasional outside sound joining in.

Eventually Roy couldn't stand it anymore. He didn't like the feeling of having somebody quietly behind him, even if Meta was his friend and doing nothing to endanger him. He threw the last of his rocks before standing up. Meta looked at him curiously as he walked past the shorter student. "I'm going home," he explained without stopping.

Meta nodded. "All right. I'll see you tomorrow then." Something about his friend's tone made Roy pause in mid-step. He was a few feet away from the masked student and turned around to look at his back. A curious frown twisted his mouth.

"Why did you come here anyways?"

"I wanted to keep you company."

Roy waited for a more elaborate explanation. When none was forthcoming, an incredulous look replaced his curious one. "That's it?" Roy couldn't help but ask. His friend nodded again.

"That's it." Meta twisted his head to look at Roy. Through the mask's eyeholes, Roy could see one yellow eye slightly wider than the other, signifying a raised eyebrow. "Did you…want me to say something else?"

"No, I just thought…" Roy trailed off. Despite the unspoken thought, they both knew what the redhead was insinuating. If the awkward silence that followed wasn't proof enough, the taller student's reddening face also supported that theory. Meta shook his head.

"I don't bring up things my friends don't want to talk about."

"R-right…" Now Roy couldn't help but feel a bit foolish. After all he already made it more than crystal clear how he couldn't even stand being near Marth after his friend's reveal. Despite that, the redhead felt that his friends would at least try to convince him to accept Marth for what-no, who he was. Years of friendship shouldn't be eradicated just because one person absolutely refused to give the other companion a chance. Roy knew that deep down, if one of his friends hated his guts, he would do all he could to attain their forgiveness and rebuild their friendship. As a result, he unconsciously wanted his friends to not only forgive him for his outburst but also to convince him to continue their much valued friendship.

But for them to forgive him, they had to know where he was coming from, exactly why he erupted like he did. And that, was something Roy wasn't sure whether he was comfortable sharing. It certainly seemed like his friends were understanding and accepting people. However, they could instead be like Roy underneath and immediately cast him away should he tell them the truth. Deep down, Roy knew this was not true. His friends were certainly more understanding and accepting than him in the past hour. Unfortunately, fear usually overrode logic and still he hesitated. The student didn't want to feel that sense of abandonment he felt long ago again. At the same time, he wanted to tell somebody and finally get a heavy weight off his shoulders. He needed his friends' support before he could support them. Perhaps it was selfish for him to think that way.

The struggle must have manifested itself on Roy's face as Meta spoke up again. "Would you like to talk about something? I'll be more than happy to listen." Now that the shorter student had opened the option that the redhead was so reluctant to ask for, after the slightest self-doubt, Roy seized that opportunity gratefully.

"Yeah, I'd appreciate that. At my house?"

"Sure." Meta stood up and dusted himself off. He gave a nod to his friend, spurring the redhead to lead the way to his home. While the silence around them seemed calm at the first touch, underneath lay evident nervousness emitted from only one of them. It didn't take them long to reach the house as both were too preoccupied with their own thoughts to notice the great distance they walked. When they arrived, Roy held open the gate for his friend and earned a nod of gratitude. They both ignored the loud clang of the shutting metal as they entered the house.

"Want anything?" Roy asked like a good host as he shucked off his shoes. Meta was about to shake his head when his scratchy throat demanded something immediately.

"Just water."

The taller student nodded as he continued to play guide into the dining room. Not that Meta needed it. Their group of friends had already been here on more than one occasion. The only abode they had yet to visit was Meta's due to the lack of his uncle's consent. While the shorter student sat down at the table, the other young man headed towards the fridge. Roy soon returned with two bottles of water. He earned another nod of appreciation when he placed one bottle in front of Meta. Meta unscrewed the cap and lifted his mask to drink. As he made sure to look away in an effort to keep his appearance still a secret, he noted how Roy didn't even attempt to sneak a peek. Instead the redhead stared at his own water bottle in his hands. Even after the masked student was done, Roy didn't look at him.

Meta waited for a few seconds before asking, "Roy?" The sound of his name seemed to jolt him out of his trance rather violently. He actually jumped a bit as if Meta initially intended to startle him. After a small pause, Roy sighed, the heaviness of the breath speaking volumes of the defeat he felt.

"Damn, Meta…I really fucked up then."

Meta didn't say anything, sensing that his friend had more to say.

"I honestly didn't mean to explode like that, especially with how vulnerable Marth seemed to be right now. He needed his friends' support but I blew him off right away. I know I shouldn't have done that but I couldn't help myself. Just hearing Marth admitting his feelings for a _boy_ …" Roy trailed off, the sound of plastic crunching suddenly replacing his voice. The redhead gritted his teeth as his eyes narrowed at an abrupt, unburied memory. His friend waited patiently while he attempted to get a hold of himself. Meta immediately sensed that there was more to Roy's hate, something personal. As a result, when Roy looked up slightly, the shorter student only nodded as a sign of "it's okay, go on." Seeing Meta's composure relaxed Roy slightly. Despite him not being able to see Meta's face, the redhead could still tell that whatever he might tell his friend now, Meta would not judge.

Even so, Roy couldn't stop his heart from beating rapidly in his ears. Nobody knew about this, not even his parents. They might have suspected something was up, but even they didn't know the exact reason. While Roy didn't fault Meta with judging quickly, he still couldn't help but feel scared about his friend's reaction.

He had to wait for a few more moments to calm himself down before he could talk again. "You know how I moved away before the time you and Ike became friends with Marth, right?"

Meta nodded in confirmation. Good. There didn't seem to be any negative undertone when Roy said Marth's name. That was already an improvement. The redhead continued:

"When my dad got a new job, we had to move to a city hours away from here, so it was hard for me to visit Marth. He was my only friend, and I hated how I had to leave him. Sure, we could still keep in contact with phone calls and messages, but it wasn't the same. At the same time, I was a new kid at my school. It was hard for me to start a conversation with anybody and I was lucky that I mustered enough courage to talk to Marth when we first met. So I went through a year of school friendless. I talked to my classmates a few times but not enough to actually be friends with them."

Roy stopped suddenly. The depressed air around him abruptly grew even heavier. For a moment, Meta feared that his friend would stop right there and not say anything else. Fortunately they proved false as Roy merely tried to collect himself from the painful assault of memories.

"Seventh grade, I…I had a teacher named Mr. Dragmire. He was my history teacher…He must have noticed how lonely I was because he stopped me from leaving class a couple days after the first day. He convinced me to stay after to help him sort some papers with the promise of extra credit. I…agreed since I didn't really have anything to do. I helped him with his errands and went home as soon as I was done. Mr. Dragmire didn't oppose or anything."

Roy had to stop occasionally as his breathing became irregular. It was almost as if his brain kept telling him to shut up and keep it all inside like he did all these years. Still, he persevered. He appreciated how Meta quietly listened without any visible judgment or condescending comment. His friend was more than willing to wait uncomplainingly while he told his story at his own pace.

"A few days later, he asked me to stay after again. I still hadn't made any friends, so I assumed at the time that that was the reason he wanted to help me out. The first few times I helped him, we didn't talk much. I think he was the one who started most of the small talk we had. Then I started staying after school more and more to help Mr. Dragmire with a variety of things. I'd help him organize papers, grade homework, things like that. Sometime we would just talk, just the two of us when I was done with the things he needed help with. Other times, he would help me with my homework from my other classes. If I had any trouble, I could have been sure to ask Mr. Dragmire for his advice. By that time, I think I started considering him as my friend, even if he was my teacher…

"Even after I moved up a grade, I still continued to help him out. I didn't try to make any other friends since I didn't think I would need any. I was content with at least one friend I…I…"

Roy had to pause again. Meta noticed how stiff his friend got, shallow breaths following the silence. The storyteller's fist clenched so tightly that his white knuckles emphasized red lines. The water bottle in his hands crushed pitifully in threats of exploding but nobody paid it any attention. Lapis eyes weren't even looking at topaz orbs. Rather, they stared intently at the table, in both fear of judgment and attempt of remembrance. Meta debated whether he should do something to ease Roy's nerves and let him know it was all right to continue once more. Just as the masked student was about to reach over, Roy somehow found the will to speak again. Yet the redhead's tone of voice sounded slightly off for some reason. Did…did Meta hear a note of desperation from him?

"I probably should have known back then but he didn't show any signs of it. I thought he was just being a kind teacher even if he did look a bit scary. I thought he was just helping me out because he saw how lonely and isolated I was. I didn't think he would do something like that to me! I had absolutely no idea at all! Why would he, a teacher of all people, do that to me?! Wasn't he supposed to help students rather than hold them?! Wasn't he supposed to make them feel better, not worse?! Why?! Why?! I don't understand! I don't understand it at all!" Roy's voice grew in volume until he screeched his heartfelt questions while holding his head. While he had tried to carefully dig up his delicate memories, they instead erupted from the ground with a vengeance to bury him once again. Roy felt like he was drowning, the sudden assault preventing him from breathing regularly. He didn't even seem to realize that he wasn't alone until he felt something shaking him out of his madness.

"Get a hold of yourself, Roy!" the redhead dully heard. Through tears (when did they started to form and fall?) he saw how Meta had leaned over the table to grab hold of Roy's shoulders, thankfully his short stature not being a problem. The masked student initially shook Roy a couple times, gently at first before getting rougher when he realized that placidity would not break through the distraught young man. Meta's stern, fearful eyes stared intently at Roy's widened, reddening ones in a pleading attempt to grasp and return his sanity. That seemed to work slightly as the redhead stopped his shrieks to only leave him with ragged pants. Meta muttered, "Roy…"

"He…he almost did it, Meta…he almost raped me…" Roy's lips trembled violently as he refused to wipe away his tears. "I was so scared that he would actually do it…I don't know how I managed to get out of there. I can't…"

"Then don't," Meta replied firmly. "Don't think about it anymore. You're not there. You're here, safe and sound. He can't hurt you anymore." Roy fervently searched the desolate mask intently, trying to find any cracks in the truth his friend provided. When he couldn't, the desperate light in his eyes slowly disappeared as the young man tried to regain control of himself again. The tears fell at a much slower rate yet the silence was every now and then punctured by the sporadic sniffle and hiccup.

Once he was certain that lunacy would not take hold of his friend again, Meta released his grip on Roy's shoulders and slid back down in his chair. He didn't want to say anything in fear that the redhead might snap again. The masked student waited with his eyes trained on his friend. Even the slightest of Roy's movements caught Meta's eyes, accessing a meaning behind the twitch before dismissing it.

"S-sorry…"

"For what?"

"B-blowing up like t-that."

"There is nothing to apologize for."

"But-."

"You had a right to. I would have been a bit worried if you didn't blow up like that," Meta said. With anybody else, Roy might have thought it was a joke. However Meta knew well enough when teasing was proper, and the situation at hand absolutely did not call for jests.

And what Meta said was the truth. He could see how much Roy's distress weighed him down. He also instinctively knew that other than the two occupants of the room, only one person knew of Roy's past, and said person had no favorable relationship with the two students. Even if the redhead had buried the experience in his mind after all these years, the wounds still opened easily as if they were fresh. However, reopening those scars and recognizing them was an important step for Roy to take in order to move on. Of course he shouldn't completely forget the trauma, but he had to learn to live with it without it having any negative effects on his current present. Which brought them to where they were now.

The words were out of his mouth before Roy realized what he said, "I'm not as unemotional as Marth…" He stiffened at his own mentioning of his friend. His hiccups that had quieted down almost threatened to start again. His sniffles still plagued him occasionally.

"…but now we also know that Marth is not as unemotional as we originally made him out to be," the masked student said gently. Roy nodded slowly in agreement. Meta continued, "I can understand where you're coming from. You're reminded of your…past, aren't you?"

Roy nodded again. His voice came out in a whisper, "I know Marth means well and he obviously cares for Pit, but…an older man taking advantage of a younger boy who doesn't know any better. I can't help but see that and it makes my blood boil."

"Marth isn't like that."

"How would you know?" Roy asked. At the question, Meta's sympathetic gaze turned hard as he glared at his friend. The intensity of his glare actually made the redhead flinch. The shorter student opted not to say anything, letting Roy continue his argument. "I mean…I thought the same with Mr. Dragmire. 'He wouldn't do that', but he tried to." His breath hitched slightly when he mentioned his assaulter, but he managed to keep his voice steady and his mind clear. "The same could be applied to Marth. Even though we're his friends, Marth has always been an enigma to us. He does things we don't understand sometimes."

Meta interrupted him there before he could continue. "I know that better than anybody. But just because I don't understand him doesn't mean I don't trust him."

"I…" Roy stopped. He looked at the table, ashamed that his words and actions implied that he did not trust his oldest friend. While one could argue that due to his teacher betraying his trust was a legitimate reason, Roy spent more time with Marth than with Mr. Dragmire. Roy knew Marth much longer than his former history teacher. Through all their years of friendship, while the blunette wasn't the most ideal member of society, the redhead knew that very rarely Marth would do anything immoral. The morality of the case at hand though was debatable in this current age, differing from each individual. Society as a whole seemed to be slowly accepting it, but protesters here and there still resented such romantic feelings for the same gender.

"You want to trust him, but your fear is keeping you from it, isn't it?" Meta asked, his aura no longer cold. He couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over him when Roy acknowledged his declaration with a nod. If his friend truly hated Marth for the homophobic reason he implied from his initial shouting, then Meta knew there was little to no hope for them to convince him otherwise. Although, the masked student thought ruefully, if Roy was a true homophobic, he probably would have turned Meta away almost immediately the moment they began talking about Marth. Now that Roy had revealed to his friend the reason behind his abandonment, a new question arose: what was he going to do? Meta helped him answer that. "Then maybe, the best course of action is to just trust him."

"Trust? But…"

"If you trust him, then you shouldn't have to fear a repeat of the past." When Meta put it that way, it made sense. Roy's logic struggled violently with his fear for the sake of his friendship with Marth. He truly wanted to believe in Meta and trust Marth. However, his past terror wrapped him tightly like a venomous serpent. It almost overpowered his reasoning if his friend didn't provide another option. "Or," the masked student said, "if you still have trouble trusting him, you can convince him otherwise."

Roy frowned at the second suggestion, not completely comprehending. His confusion seemed to relinquish his dread just a bit. "Convince him otherwise? What do you mean?"

"Friends can only advise, then choose to accept what their friends decide. You can try to make sure that Marth does not repeat your teacher's actions by telling him exactly why you reacted the way you did and how he can avoid the same situation with Pit." At the suggestion Roy flinched as if Meta struck him directly. In a way, he did. The redhead could barely keep it together while telling his story to the most responsible of his friends. He couldn't imagine how Marth would deal with the information. Wait, he could. Not with indifference, that was wrong, all wrong. It would be with understanding. Despite the blunette being unresponsive most of the time, Roy remembered how the times that it did matter, Marth definitely showed that he cared about his friends.

Still, Roy hesitated. He wasn't entirely sure whether he was comfortable telling others about his past. Having one person outside know seemed to be enough. And if he told Marth to be careful about how to treat Pit, his friend might be able to decipher that he very was nearly raped by an older man. People tended to forget how smart Marth really was, including his friends. "I…" When it seemed as though he couldn't continue, Meta piped up again:

"It is whatever you choose, Roy. I have already followed my own advice by giving you suggestions on how you can make the situation better, and now it is up to you to decide what you want to do."

"I…I think…I think I can try," Roy finally said. He looked directly into Meta's eyes. Though faint, a determined light still shone in the redhead's eyes. "I'm still not entirely comfortable about Marth being with a boy…but I think I can learn to be fine with it in time."

"For your own sake?"

"Huh?"

"Don't do it just for your friends. You have to do it for yourself as well."

Roy set his mouth in a determined line. "If I try for my friends, then I'm trying for myself too. It would be selfish of me to just think of myself."

Although Meta closely examined Roy's face for any faltering signs, he knew instinctively that he wouldn't find any. He then nodded in acknowledgement of Roy's statement. Although he understood that it would take a great effort on his friend's part and theirs to help him get through it, Meta was confident that with due time, Roy would come to accept Marth and Pit's potential relationship.

"All right then. I can't deny that I am relieved that you decided to follow my advice. But I think you should wait for a bit before meeting up with Marth. Give yourself some time to come to terms with yourself and be able to see Marth with a clear mind."

"Yeah, I'll do that."

Meta's eyes crinkled slightly, a sign of his thankful smile. He stood up with a satisfied sigh. "Then if you don't mind, I should be getting home. I can't have my cousin and uncle cleaning out the fridge again."

"Oh! Yeah. Sorry for keeping you."

"Not at all. I was happy to help. If you want to talk anymore, you can always call me." Meta turned to leave. Roy watched as his friend almost left the room. He bit his lip slightly. For some reason, he had a strange feeling of asking Meta something. He hesitated for a bit before finally making up his mind. Meta almost left the kitchen completely when his friend asked timidly:

"Hey, Meta? Before you go?"

When it sounded like Roy wavered again, it forced the masked student to turn around to look inquiringly at him. "Yes?" He thought that the redhead would make him promise not to tell anybody about the conversation they had, especially about Roy's past. However, the taller student already knew that Meta knew to keep these personal matters private and instead had something else to say to him.

"…thanks for listening to me. And the same goes for you. If you have anything you want or need to talk about, I…I'm willing to listen. I'm probably not the best person to talk to with how I acted about Marth's situation, but I want my friends to still be able to rely on me. So…"

"…yeah, I understand," Meta said quietly. Roy frowned in slight confusion. The calm air around his friend suddenly seemed to have an unwelcome component to it. He wasn't sure exactly what the emotion was, but it wasn't one of the more positive ones. Before he could point out the subtle change, Meta continued, "Although, I don't think you guys have to worry about me. I've been fine so far. I'll see you around." The guest quickly left without waiting for a reply. Roy heard the door opening for a brief moment, and a clicking shut came after.

With his savior gone, Roy slumped in his seat. He exhaled resignedly through his nose as he thought back to their conversation. Not surprisingly, the whole interaction exhausted him more than he realized. It had taken him all his strength to heave the weight of his past up in order for Meta to know where he was coming from. Still, now Roy could breathe much easier even with his conflict still hovering over him. Somehow, just having somebody listen to your problems really helped make you feel better.

Yet despite their conversation, Roy couldn't stop a sensation of disgust shivering down his spine when he thought about Marth and Pit being together. While he could use the excuse of Mr. Dragmire all he wanted, it didn't change the fact that deep down he still thought it was weird and slightly repulsive for two men to be together. It just…wasn't right in his mind.

He shook his head violently as if to snap himself out of that way of thinking. Roy had already told Meta that for all their sake, his included, he would try to be understanding and accepting of his friend. The redhead fully intended to keep that unstable promise. After all, he could learn how to accept Marth, or at the very least tolerate his friend's apparent preference. _So long as he doesn't pin after me_ , he thought slightly jokingly to himself in a small attempt make things easier. _Or Meta and especially not Ike_.

His feeble joke reminded him of Meta's last minute change. He couldn't help but wonder whether the masked student was as all right as he had claimed. Similarly to his face, Meta could be masking any and all conflicts plaguing him. Roy actually wouldn't put it past Meta to do that. For as long as he could remember, Meta had always been willing to help others with their problems yet hesitated whenever he seemed to need some form of aid. The redhead didn't want to pressure his friend into telling their group about the short student's insecurities. However he still hoped that Meta knew about what he was reminded of today. The least friends could all do for one another, even if they didn't have any advice to give, was to lend a listening ear. Sometimes that was all that was needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Again, Roy moving away refers to his absence in Brawl and Subspace Emissary group of Marth, Ike, and Meta. His moving back is obviously him being Sm4sh DLC.
> 
> 2\. Uh...yeah...so...:I There's the reason for you guys to not completely hate Roy. *Trigger word* is not light matter and should not be treated as such, for *both/all* genders. While I have not experienced it (thank God) nor do I know anybody who went through this, I can only imagine how scarring it could get for kids, teens, and adults alike. I can only advise to please, please tell somebody, especially if it weighs you down a lot. Believe you me, just talking about it with a confidant would lighten up your load immensely. It worked for me for other issues, I think it would work with this issue as well. But yeah, Roy definitely could have handled Marth's confession a bit more tactfully than just storming off like he did last chapter.
> 
> 3\. Yes, in this story, Dedede is Meta's uncle and Kirby is Meta's cousin. So that's where Meta's sense of responsibility comes from...has to keep a constant eye out for them cleaning the fridge.
> 
> Anyways, hoped you enjoyed this chapter, even though it probably wasn't what you guys were expecting. Still, I'll see you guys next time in a different story.


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